Sneering Eyes
by IdrewAcow
Summary: Imagine you're the most popular diva in the world, but nobody knows it's you. Imagine that the person you fear and love the most discovers you. And imagine, that just because you finally made a friend, the people you seem to know best want you gone. Yuri
1. Secrets and Ignorance

An alarm blared through the dimly lit room. Sunlight managed to push past the dull white curtains, weakly laminating the small, bare space. On a bed, in the corner, a girl groaned loudly, shifting. With a fast, though clumsy motion, an arm reached out and smashed down on the alarm, shutting it off.

With another groan, the covers were pushed away. Two teal orbs blinked at the weak light, sometimes closing longer than safe, menacing to toss the girl back into deep, warm slumber.

The girl shook her head violently and nearly pushed herself out of the bed. The loud, dragging footsteps rang through the halls as she entered the kitchen, and the clattering of plates, bowls and other kitchen utensils could be heard.

Managing to remember herself that she didn't have much time, she ate quickly, to trudge back down the halls towards her bathroom. Finally arriving at her destination, she looked at her reflection.

Her teal hair was a real birds' nest, and her matching eyes barely seemed to live. Bags hung under the tired orbs and her entire complexion was pale.

It was evident this person didn't have a nice, long night of sleep.

Shaking her own image out of her head, she stepped into the shower.

Minutes later, a now much more lively early-riser was running through the apartment, searching for her uniform, drying her hair and brushing her teeth at the same time. Once the latter was done, she grabbed what seemed a vitamin pill and swallowed it dry. Once the uniform was found, she pulled it on, hanging to towel on a rack to dry.

Stepping outside, she seemed like a different person.

Long, brown hair, straight clothes, and lively eyes replaced their predecessors.

Her name; Hatsune Miku.

And nobody knew it.

* * *

><p>A tall figure stood in the middle of the classroom, chatting happily with a few others. Having arrived early, this proud, striking person decided to just relax during the moments that preceded the morning bell.<p>

Long, elegant pink hair, striking blue eyes, charming smile, pale skin. She was the pride of the class, practically of the school. She was surrounded by other boys and girls, all demanding her attention, almost as if a glance from her was worth a life.

The goddess' attention was grabbed by a smaller figure entering the classroom. She smirked, almost evilly.

Everybody knew the newcomer, but for a totally different reason than the why everybody knew this popularity; this girl was…a perfect target. She stands out in the ugliest way. Long, dark brown hair that didn't shine healthily, a deep, almost manly voice, way too bright eyes, and she always wore that horrible black jacket. Always.

Not only did she look odd, but she acted odd, too. She had no friends whatsoever, never said anything, much less 'no', never got good grades, and always seemed tired and aloof. Plus, she didn't even seem to have a given name. Hatsune, period.

The deep blue orbs followed the target as she walked towards her seat, which happened to be right in front of the smirking model.

Hatsune knew she was in trouble, but why wouldn't she? It was the same every day.

The tall girl sighed as the bell rang, but sneered at the brunette's back. Saved by the bell, but doomed by the next.

* * *

><p>The halls grew empty quickly as the lunch bell echoed along the walls. Constant chitter chatter was heard as the building was evacuated; most headed outside; the spring having come nice and early this year, they wanted to profit the most possible from the warm sun. Others headed for the lunchroom, though most likely to head back outside afterwards.<p>

Once the final steps faded, silence invaded the space, interrupted only by the faint calls and cheers from the cafeteria or from the fields outside.

After a few long minutes, though, a quick pitter patter interrupted this quiet. The noise was quick and uneven. Soon, 'that' girl with long brown hair could be seen running through the corridors, and quickly disappear into the girls' bathroom.

As she collapsed on the tiled floor after having locked the door, the girl broke into a fit of sobs.

She needed a breather….

'_Hatsune' was trying to follow the teacher's words as she wrote down the notes. She wanted to succeed in the tests, but she didn't have much time. So paying attention in class was the least she could do. _

_But she couldn't. Those bullies kept throwing things at her. Erasers, pencils, paper planes. And the teacher never saw. Maybe he couldn't he past the fatty mounds that composed his eyebrows._

_When a pen was launched at the girl's back, she almost cried out when she saw the stain the writing utensil caused on her shirt. _

_A shiver ran up her spine when a voice spoke in her back. It was sweet, but it didn't fit the words that were ushered past two pink lips. _

_"What are you going to do about that? Tell the teacher? What good will that do?" the victim bit back tears. She really liked this shirt, and that stain was there to stay. Ignoring the snickers, she continued writing, biting her lip. _

* * *

><p><em>She was eating the meager snack she prepared this morning. She was extremely hungry, having no dinner the previous night, and the small breakfast that morning barely being remembered by her stomach. <em>

_Suddenly a shove in her back pushed her forward, making her sandwich fall in the sand. _

_"Can't eat that, now can you?" demanded the same sweet voice. The girl just quickly walked away._

* * *

><p><em>At lunch, she was pulling her heavy bag filled with her homework to her locker, crossing the field outside. Nothing happened when she was eating, so she felt a bit relieved.<em>

_A foot in front of her crushed her hopes for peace. _

_Papers fell all around, and they were snatched away by the wind. _

_"Oops" _

_Finally giving up, she ran for her refuge._

That is why she is crying now, she thought.

That pest…never left her alone. That torturer from hell…made her life another type of hell itself. Every single day, hour after hour, every time teachers were absent, she, along with her band of friends, managed to make her see long night's work fly away or slowly starve to death.

It felt so bad; it tore at Hatsune's heart. She felt less than a human being, less than an animal, almost. She was treated like undesired dust, like the fly that just happens to be bothering you on your worst day of the year.

It hurt so badly, because she had chosen to live with this hell. She had practically given herself this exile, this torture, not willing to repair the damage being done.

Why?

She was the most famous girl in Japan. Hatsune Miku, the diva everybody wishes to meet, see and hear. She's the girl who is a role model for half of the globe, who makes other singers envious of her impossible range and incredible talent.

What was such a respected star doing in a girls' bathroom, sobbing?

Simple; if anybody knew who she really is, her ordinary life would be literally crushed. Goodbye, timely mornings of the average student. Goodbye, calm and peace as she walked the streets. And goodbye, life.

Nobody would see her as a PERSON. She would be seen as a goddess, an extra-terrestrial being..

She didn't want that. The stunning diva wanted a regular life. And all that took was an unknown address, hair paint, pills, and a few people of confidence.

But…such an ordinary life paid its toll.

Every day, she is treated like a three-headed rat, simply because she can't do anything against it.

Tell the teachers? What proof did she have? And besides, if she did, they would only give her a breather for about a week, two weeks tops. Then they would be back, armed to their teeth.

Talk back? Tell them that she refuses this treatment?

No…for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to do that. Miku wasn't particularly shy, not at all. Just…

Seeing her smile…made her day. For some reason, seeing that goddess smile at her, no matter how cruelly, made her feel good, in the most twisted, painful way. Hearing her laugh, no matter how mean it is, no matter what she may be laughing at, made the diva just agree even more to this torture.

Miku couldn't explain it…it was too confusing. It hurt to have that beauty harm her, but…if she could make her laugh, then, in some impossible way; it made her think it was worth it.

As long as she created happiness, she was fine.

* * *

><p>Miku sat in her wooden chair a few minutes before the bell. Her tears were wiped and her face was ridden of any clue of what she had just suffered.<p>

Being the school mocking-target, practically nobody sat around her. Even though she was seated on the third row, nobody was in front of her. Only the silver-haired Haku and blonde Neru sat to her right. Those two were pretty neutral, but still avoided Miku at all costs.

Miku tensed as the group behind her laughed. She knew who was in the middle of that miniature crowd, who was making all these people have fun. It was the person she feared, and admired the most…Luka.

Megurine Luka.

It hurt to be silent, and alone the whole time, thought Miku. Not only wasn't she able to be close to the goddess right behind her, and not only was she incredibly lonely, but she also heard things. Being invisible the whole time let her accidentally eavesdrop on conversations, and being the singer she is, she had very sharp ears. So, in consequence, she knew of all events she would miss (though most of the times, she couldn't care less…for example, the soccer practice), and all the secrets foolish students would trust to their friends.

So, she knew that most people surrounding the source of her conflicting emotions were all just there for the fame. Being around her meant that you knew her, and that was at least a bonus 50 points on the popularity scale.

Megurine Luka was being used, and it hurt the diva in disguise.

Once again, she couldn't place exactly why.

Why would she feel bad when her torturer is being used? She didn't know, and she wasn't the only one, so why did it hurt her?

The questions flying through her head disappeared when a particular phrase stood out from the laughing crowd behind her.

"Hey, Luka! You got those tickets for the concert this evening?" asked a tall boy with long purple hair. His name was Gakupo, and on the contrary of most of the students around him, he was a real friend for Luka. Though sometimes he acted like a complete fool and sometimes he was a little selfish, he always meant well. Well, 'well' in Luka's eyes. Miku could swear the boy had a crush on the pink-haired girl.

She had to hand it to him, he had a chance. His features, although a bit feminine, were strong. He was very well built, and was brave.

A perfect prince charming, if said prince were wearing a pair on clown shoes.

"Of course I do, Gakupo!" replied Luka. Miku closed her eyes by reflex, like she did whenever Luka spoke. She didn't know if it was from holding back tears from her long teasing, or from the beauty of the sound.

Yes, Luka really had the voice of an angel.

Except it hurt.

"Who do you think I am; a loser like Hatsune?" the group laughed at this, while Miku only pressed her eyelids even tighter shut. "Also, I bought one for each of you, so that you can all be spared of ridicule!" she cheered, handing out more tickets. Miku cringed.

Why was she selling herself out like that? Those tickets cost so much…those 'friends' weren't worth their price. The room started to reek from treason…

"So, you have any tickets, Hatsune?" sneered a brunette. Miku knew her as Meiko; Luka's best friend since birth, or something. Just like the purple-haired prince, this girl is a real friend, and would follow Luka to the death.

Why couldn't Miku have such great friends?

Bringing her mind back to the question, Miku cringed internally. That concert…she was the one singing. She, 'Hatsune', the loser, was going to be singing at the concert they were all so anxious to go to. The people who were now pestering her would be her biggest fans in only a few hours. Miku felt her gut clench; it all felt so odd.

"Meh, I guess not. Anyway, what beggar has the money for a top-class concert?"

At this, the entire crowd surrounded the girl's chair. Some sat on the table behind her, others planted themselves in front of her, and the rest filled the gaps between tables.

No escape.

The lack of space made it difficult for Miku to breathe, and the tension was killing her.

No matter how many times this happened, she never got accustomed to it. She looked down, hoping to avoid their eyes.

Trying the keep herself calm, and trying to breathe despite the uncomfortable atmosphere, Miku reasoned with what the brunette had just said. They had a reason to believe she was a beggar; she always made sure she ran in circles when going home. Not only to avoid the followers, but to distract any other body with reputation. The press had been searching for her house for years, and still it is unknown to the world.

Miku put up with the chorus of laughs that followed Meiko's insult. She had heard those laughs, those sneers, for so long; she had seen those sneering eyes and pointing fingers for months; they still hurt.

The unknown diva was on the brink of tears. If only she could tell them…if only…

Her heart stopped when a finger pushed her chin upwards, forcing her damp eyes to look directly into two icy, mocking blue orbs.

They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, despite the mocking aura swimming through the blue irises.

Deep, ocean blue. The sea and sky put together, and locked into those two pearls.

And they were looking at her with a freezing disgust and superiority

"So, Hatsune, ever been to any of Miku's concerts?" whispered the girl, not five inches away from her face.

Miku found herself, as usual, unable to answer the question.

Such proximity…was killing her.

Luka sneered after a few seconds, and let Miku's chin fall. She walked away, leaving Miku frozen and lost.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter one, done!<strong>

**IMPORTANT! This chapter has been completely reviewed, from top to bottom, and is not yet the case for the following chapters. So, for the next five or six chapters, it is visible that I didn't give my all. So please, bear with it. **

**Also, if you think Luka is being a b*tch, and are quite a big fan of her's, then it's ok, it gets better. Also, following chapters are WAY longer (11'000 words...)**

**Preview for the following Chapter:**

Luka was confused.

"There is something odd" she pointed out.

"Yeah…"

"She seems oddly resistant" mentioned Kaito. The fact that Miku still hasn't spilled their acts towards any adult hasn't eluded any of the group.

"Or she's just stupid" replied Meiko.

"Or, really smart!" Gakupo tried. Luka grit her teeth. This was frustrating her more than it should…why?

"And how the hell can she be that imperfect?" demanded Meiko. Luka raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"That hair doesn't fit, those eyes don't fir, that voice doesn't fit, and that jacket she wears every single day is just wrong!" the others nodded.

"She may be hiding something"


	2. The Girl Behind The Disguise

**This chapter is re-done as well! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Miku quickly hurried home.<p>

Today had been a tiring day, as most days in her life had been. School, pestering school, pestering…although repetitive after a certain moment, she couldn't seem to adapt, and it was still as tiring as the day it started.

But what really sent Miku sprawling to the ground, was that her days still wasn't quite finished. In fact, one could say it barely started.

Miku sighed, still walking down the streets, and took out her schedule. She knew it was around four o'clock right then, so she had approximately one hour to do her homework, one hour to have a well-deserved nap, half an hour to get ready for the concert at seven. Said concert would end at nine, and the diva would have to get up at six the following day.

She sighed; sometimes she wondered if it would bother Crypton the slightest bit to plan her concerts at week-ends. They were exhausting, and the make-up process made her shudder. Well, she couldn't say they were all bad; singing always lightened her mood, and she seemed to find a good reason to live when she made others smile.

Though, this concert will exit the usual list.

Her classmates would be there, and that fact alone made her shake in her shoes. Not that she particularly feared them, or had a reason too; they knew her as Hatsune, with brown hair and low voice. They wouldn't ever recognize her as Miku. Just…

For some reason, Miku felt as if she was scared of disappointing them. She had lived alone for long enough to be able to read her own emotions as clear as glass, to the contrary of what some would think. She needed to know what she wanted to do with her free time, having nobody to share it with, and needed to know what to do. Now, she could read an emotion from fifty feet away.

So, she knew what she feared, and felt.

And she was scared to disappoint.

This happened regularly, just…never this acutely. It was at the same time scary, and refreshing. Her life being so repetitive, it was nice for even the slightest, even negative change.

With that in mind, Miku opened the door to her house, always remembering to scan the area around first.

Luka lived close by, so close that it shocked Miku that the pink-haired girl still hasn't found out where she lived. But…she wasn't ready to find out what would happen if the taller girl did find her refuge.

Seeing no danger (who could possibly miss pink hair? Or blue…for that matter), she entered the household. She was right on time, always entering when the bigger hand of the clock strikes four.

The clock itself was plain; pale wooden, circular frame, with black hands moving past the regular, correctly written numbers.

The rest of the room, or the whole living space, wasn't any different. Plain would be the first word anybody would think seeing this.

Wooden floors, white walls, cream or light brown furniture were the main body of the space. No decorations or anything personal whatsoever was to be seen.

The kitchen, just down a small, though wide, hall from the front door, on the right, had white tiles and cupboards. Across from the kitchen was the living room, also almost accessibly large and empty. Two couches, a large flat screen high definition television and a coffee table were all to be seen. The dining room, at the end of the hall, was extremely large and spacious. A wooden table stood on a cream rug in the middle of the space, and two pairs of chairs surrounded it. It was connected with the kitchen, so that two people could talk when standing in two different rooms.

Miku's bedroom was on the other side of the front door, and it was also extremely large. Though, it was more furnished.

A desk stood to the immediate right of the door, and a closet followed it along the wall. Miku's bed sat in the opposite corner, and surrounded by it all was another cream rug. Bins surrounded the desk. Papers, some scribbled upon, others not, were either filling those bins or were in some sort of vaguely organized manner strewn across the surface of the desk.

Miku lived here. In a completely plain, almost unappealing, space.

She didn't really care about that, for some reason. No time, and no care…so why bother?

Miku walked straight into her before-described room, immediately unpacking her school stuff.

She had a schedule to follow.

* * *

><p>The alarm interrupted the regular scratching of pencil on paper. Miku sighed, and turned off her cellphone. Said phone was probably the most expensive object in the entire household; it had the regular calling, messaging, texting, and other varied forms of communication, but it also had an mp3 player, GPS, Wi-Fi, and so many other functions that made sure that Miku could be found no matter what.<p>

Sometimes, the diva wanted to throw the things in a river.

Miku stood slowly, her back and neck hurting from hanging over her homework for so long. And she still wasn't done…

She stared at her tired reflection in the mirror. Realizing that her hair was still plastic brown, she opened the small cupboard behind the mirror. Her bathroom was also poorly furnished, with only brushes (for both hair and teeth), shampoos, soaps and other strictly necessary things.

Though, her cupboard held a few precious things.

With a tired groan, Miku removed a pair of gloves; plastic, semi-transparent. Putting them on, she moved them through her long locks.

The paint vanished instantaneously.

She sighed. She had top quality, easy-removal paint at her disposition, only to hide her identity. She had said that she could buy regular paint, but it always took ages to put it in, wash it out…so Crypton developed this special little miracle.

Just like her cellphone, she sometimes hated it.

When Miku finished manually combing her hair, she put her gloves back in their place and eyed the two large bottles stubbornly sitting right next to them.

Another and the final, thing that Crypton developed specially for her.

The bottle with the red lid held hundreds of small, circular pale red pills. The one with the blue lid held an equal amount of small, oval, pale blue pills.

These were the little devils that made sure of her voice change. The red ones were in charge of coating her throat or vocal chords with some substance, making her voice seem almost masculine. The blue ones were the antidote.

Miku immediately took a blue pill, feeling relief wash over her as she felt whatever it was in her throat just vanish. Those red pills, though effective, had a nasty taste and a painful feeling after a few hours.

Now, instead of 'loser' Hatsune, stood the famous Miku.

Miku didn't take time to ponder, and just undressed for her shower.

* * *

><p>Miku quickly dressed in her concert clothes; as usual, she was running late. Despite her being a perfectly concentrated girl, who took everything maybe a tad bit too seriously, she always managed to be late.<p>

She didn't bother double-checking her appearance in the mirror; the make-process will take care of that. Instead, she grabbed her ever-present black hoodie. She always took it around with her, simply because it was practical. The pockets were filled with whatever she may ever need; spare pills, gloves (though only necessary when her hair was painted), paper and pen. She washed it at night, since she used it every single day. She knew that that didn't help her reputation at school; always wearing the same clothes…did it have to be explained?

That didn't shake her; she was wearing it and nobody can say she can't.

Stepping outside with a quick step, Miku shuddered, realizing that the evening air was much fresher than she anticipated. After all, it was just barely the beginning of spring; winter wasn't quite finished yet.

Pulling up the hood, she almost jogged to the rendezvous point. Never the same, always changing. At said point a limo was waiting to take her to the stage, where the famous concert will be held.

She approached the agreed corner, seeing the long black vehicle from a mile ahead.

She smiled when a big, burly man stepped out of the car.

"Good evening, Miku. How was your day?" asked the man with a foreign accent.

"Good evening, Steve…ok, I guess" the man, named Steve, chuckled. Instead of replying, he let the girl inside the vehicle, before following her.

Miku relaxed against the comfortable chairs. It was definitely warmer inside the car. Steve, who happened to be her bodyguard, sat across form her as the limo took off.

"Ready for the concert?" asked the guard. Miku shrugged.

"You can say so…" the man raised a thick, dark eyebrow.

"That means something's up…" Miku smiled weakly.

"My classmates are coming this time…" at this, Steve sighed. He had heard many tales about the infamous Megurine Luka, and her followers.

"Well, there isn't much you can do about it…you can't hire me to throw them out" Miku sighed in return.

"I know…"

"Did something happen today?"

"Not in peculiar…" Steve noticed that the girl was trailing her sentences, one after the other.

"What are you thinking about?" the diva shrugged. She often talked with her bodyguard like this; they were practically friends.

"How long it will take them to figure it out"

"Do you want that to happen?"

"No…"

"So?"

"It's just that-" Miku cut her sentence, before starting it again. "I can't help but feel curious, you know? What would it be like, to be respected like her? And by her! I mean…she talks about me the whole time!"

"And she doesn't know that"

"Exactly, but…I'm too scared to figure it out. I mean, there would be no way back" she shuddered at glacial memories.

"But, why are you wondering how long it would take them?"

"Well, maybe because I've been holding this disguise for over a year, and they still haven't figured it out!"

"Why is that frustrating?"

"I can't help but picture in my mind what would happen if one of them just found out…the expression on their faces, how they would react…" Steve smiled.

"You're thinking about her again, are you?" Miku blushed a bit.

"Even if I am…she is the last person I want to find out"

* * *

><p>Miku hurried backstage, making sure that no fans might have seen her enter the building. She loved to make them smile, but sometimes…they were just darn crazy.<p>

She briefly talked with the stage owner, listening to him thanks her endlessly, and what kind of honor it was for her to sing here. When finished listening to the man, she headed for the make-up room. Her regular team was standing there, brushes and sponges at the ready.

"Right on time, Miss Miku"

"No, I'm late again" grumbled the diva, sitting in the chair. She hated this process, mostly because the women around her just wouldn't stop talking! Bla bla this, my dog died that, my son wants this, Christmas that…she listened to enough stuff during school; she didn't want to hear this too. But, being polite, she just lived through it.

"So, Miss Miku, how are you feeling today?" asked one of the women who was adding a little eyeliner. Miku had long gotten used to the little nickname, but it still bothered her a little.

"Ok"

"Well, you better remember that many people have come from very far just to see you today. You mustn't disappoint them"

Right, just the more stress she needed.

* * *

><p>Miku was long used to the screams when the curtain rose. The cheers, the yells…she loved them a lot. They comforted her, told her that her life is worth living. Especially when she was treated day by day like a bilge rat, appreciation was always, always welcome.<p>

With a real, truthful smile, Miku sang her first song, putting in as much emotion as possible; being live left to space for mistakes.

Singing…it was her stress-reliever. She loved it, more than everything else. The songs she sung told her that it could be worse, that what she has is as good as anything; and that made her happier than anything.

Word after word, she gave them to the silent crowd. She gave her emotion, her feelings, her wishes…through these words and melody, she shared them with the world, maybe in a subconscious hope that one day, somebody would understand.

Once a song finished, she zapped to the next, not wasting time. She was silent too often in her life; time to be loud.

* * *

><p>As Miku stepped off stage a few hours later, she felt empty. Those moments of happiness and bliss came with a cost; afterwards, she was always tired and empty.<p>

So many people…it was always after the show when she realizes that detail. So many people…and many NORMAL people, with ordinary lives, no extraordinary troubles. It made her feel slightly regretful…why did she start with the music business to be alone?

As usual, her manager relieved her of the post-concert angst.

"So, Miku, how did it go?" asked the tall blonde man. Dorian, her manager, looked a lot like Steve, though had his differences. Steve was big and bulky, while Dorian was tall, lean and smooth. His bright blonde hair was always combed back, and his glasses always resting upon his nose.

Miku shrugged.

"The usual…" he chuckled.

"I heard form Steve that your classmates have come this evening. Seen them in the crowd?" Miku nodded weakly. She had somehow managed to see past the blinding spots to see their faces.

It was strange, to see them cheering her on. Such a twist…

"It was awkward…" she corrected.

"You know you could just tell them" he offered, reassuring. Miku shook her head.

"You know, that I don't want that. Remember what happened?" he nodded, though what she was referring to had only reached his ears; only the girl has really experienced what she was saying.

He sighed.

"Well…tell me when it kills you, ok?" Miku only shrugged at his answer.

"How can having a regular life kill me?" he shook his head instead of giving an answer.

"Well, Steve will accompany you home. Please be at the studio at five tomorrow, 'Innocence needs some re-recording"

"Why?"

"Technical error" she sighed; it was difficult to sing such a bubbly sing when she wasn't in the mood…the last recording went so well…

"Fine…tomorrow at five." Without waiting for an answer, Miku dragged herself outside.

When she opened the door, an explosion of screams met her ears. Searching desperately for her limo, she tried to make a path through the screaming crowd. Quickly, and if only to spare her life from those grabbing hands, she signed a few papers, handing them back to their owners.

Miku sighed in relief as Steve appeared. The crowd loosened, and Miku staggered to freedom.

"Oh…my back…" she groaned when she sat in the limo. Steve closed the door with difficulty, and sat down as well as the car left. "What the hell?"

"Sorry, but Kiyoteru started a doodle-jump contest about five minutes ago…everybody left their posts…"

"And let me guess, you joined them?" Steve tried to hide between his shoulders. Miku sighed. "Sorry for snapping…it's just…" he nodded, understanding.

"So…how was it?"

"Tiring"

"They always are…"

* * *

><p>'Connect' blared through the room at six in the morning. Miku groaned, and slammed her hand on the 'shuddup!' button. She really liked that song…but not at six am.<p>

Miku had barely been able to finish her homework the previous evening. It was past midnight when her work was done, and the girl had been so exhausted that she fell asleep in her clothes.

She smelled horrible, she thought. After concerts, it was always a (very) good idea to shower, but she hadn't.

After a long shower, putting the paint back on during that time, she had a speedy breakfast, disguised her voice, and took off for school.

The class was almost full when she arrived. The faux brunette sat in her chair as silently as she could; Luka and the rest were already there, chatting about the concert the previous evening. Miku remembered with a shudder the events…how they had smiled at her….

"My favorite was 'Imitation'! It was great!" exclaimed Gakupo with a smile. It was obvious he had fun. Luka shrugged slightly.

"I prefer the newest, 'Innocence'. It had a great melody…" at this, everybody agreed, while Miku held back a sigh. She was trying not to listen, but it was hard when she had nothing to do and they were all screaming.

She wondered again how everyone would react if they knew that their idol was in class with them. Their jaw might fall to the floor, all at once, with a big 'thud'.

Miku giggled at such a silly picture; it was hilarious!

"What are you so happy about, Hatsune?" demanded a deep, masculine voice. Miku froze; that was Kaito's voice. He was just as much of a prince as Gakupo, except he was more of a boy than a fool.

The room grew dead silent, and Miku could feel their stares in her spine. Wasn't she allowed to laugh?

Instead of trying to straighten her pride, she just looked down at her lap.

"What, did you actually manage to get in the show?" demanded Gakupo. The group sneered.

"Or even better, an autograph?" asked Luka, her voice getting dangerously close to the diva in disguise's seat.

Miku's train of thought suddenly stopped.

Yes…she had an autograph! Better yet, she had all of the autographs she wanted!

A new feeling of courage filled her as she seized the pen and paper on her jacket pocket, signing said paper blindly. Not that she needed to look; she had done this a ton of times!

"Actually…" Miku inhaled, the strength she had moments ago fading as Luka entered her line of sight.

No…this time, she won't let herself be trampled over.

"I have" the room froze as Miku pulled the autograph from her pocket, with her name on it, written in a neat, legible handwriting. The seated girl wanted to cheer as she saw Luka's eyes widen in disbelief.

Finally…she was standing up for herself.

"That…" Luka grabbed the paper, surprising Miku slightly. "Is a fake" the whole crowd gasped as the taller teen ripped the paper in two.

Miku, for once, felt completely neutral.

No, not even neutral, she had an envy to laugh. Luka's silly attempt at making her weep her soul out, destroying her certain victory was a failure. And…she didn't know that. Luka was so sure she had just ruined Miku's year. And yet…Miku was practically joyful.

Miku smiled widely, grinning sincerely.

"Heh…whatever" she spoke with that grin. The entire group froze again. "I don't really care; I have a ton" Miku smiled even more as Luka's triumphant expression practically shattered. "It's so funny, that you think you can break me like that!" the disguised girl giggled again, certain that now, her day was going to be the best one in a long time.

Luka just left.

* * *

><p>The four most popular students of the school walked quickly through the halls. All four had a train to catch, but that wasn't on either of their minds.<p>

Normally, they were proud, happy, enjoying life. But now, they were confused.

"What was that?" asked Kaito, out of the blue. He didn't need to specify; all knew what they were thinking about.

Their toy since the beginning of the school year was indifferent. For some reason, that felt like a failure to three of them. After months of succeeding in making the girl cry, this one time failure made them think about it; probably more than expected.

But for the remaining of the three, it didn't feel like a failure; it felt like a loss. A real, utter loss.

"I honestly don't know…a ton of signatures? Who has that many?" questioned Meiko, running a hand through her short brown hair.

"And, who doesn't care that one person ripped one in two?" asked Luka.

"Well…a person who has a ton" replied Gakupo. Luka wacked him upside the head, hard. Her nerve were failing her.

In reality, the taller girl was feeling slightly guilty. She had wanted an autograph from Miku since the day she heard her playing on the radio. Seeing Hatsune have one made her feel…incredibly jealous, and in some strange way, proud.

In short, her head was being invaded by multiple thoughts and emotions.

Making Hatsune suffer again would straighten everything out, she thought.

But…now that she was thinking, she was also wondering why she was even pestering the girl in the first place. Something about her…she couldn't describe it.

Luka was confused.

"There is something odd" she pointed out.

"Yeah…"

"She seems oddly resistant" mentioned Kaito. The fact that Miku still hasn't spilled their acts towards any adult hasn't eluded any of the group.

"Or she's just stupid" replied Meiko.

"Or, really smart!" Gakupo got smacked again. Luka grit her teeth. This was frustrating her more than it should…why?

"And how the hell can she be that imperfect?" demanded Meiko. Luka raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"That hair doesn't fit, those eyes don't fir, that voice doesn't fit, and that jacket she wears every single day is just wrong!" the others nodded.

"She may be hiding something" Luka held herself back from hitting the boy again. For some reason, whenever she was frustrated, she took it out on Gakupo whenever he barely opened his mouth.

"You're right…"

"How will we find out?" Luka shrugged at the blue-haired boy's question.

"Meh, I don't really care…" in reality, she was burning with curiosity. Where were all these confusing feelings coming from?

Uncovering Hatsune's secret would solve it all, she felt it.

They finally made it out of the school building, and stepped no the grassy lawn in front of the school.

It was littered with students. Most still had to stay for clubs, but others just wanted to go home.

Everybody was surrounding the small little pond in the middle of the small field where beautiful flowers were just starting to bloom. The friends made their way around the water, and separated without a word. Kaito, Meiko and Gakupo headed to the left from the school, while Luka headed for the train station, the other way.

While walking, Luka couldn't stop asking herself questions.

Why didn't Hatsune ever protest? Why did she seem to just live with it? Why was she so…as Meiko said, 'imperfect'? What's with the jacket?

But those were minor questions. The three biggest questions she was asking herself were; 'Where did she get a ton of autographs?' 'Why is this all confusing me?' and most importantly; 'Why did she care?'

Why did Luka care?

Taking a seat in the train, she patiently waiting for her stop, still chewing on her thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong>This was more of a filler chapter, though it has its important parts.<strong>

**Preview!**

"Please…stay" she begged. They needed to straighten things out, she felt. She needed to let this person know how important her secret was to her. Miku then proceeded to empty the fridge, looking for some water. A catastrophic headache was coming on…

"Uh…I don't want to bother you…" Miku froze all movement, feeling her headache dissolve like a breath in winter air.

That was Luka's voice.


	3. Revelations and Changes

**This chapter is re-done as well! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Luka woke up the next morning, grumpy and tired.<p>

The events of the previous day had shaken her more than they should have. Sleep had evaded her during the night, and in the few hours of her sleep, her dreams were blurry and complicated.

But, her head was now feeling a little better.

Ignoring that fact that it was only six in the morning, and could easily sleep an extra hour before getting ready for school, Luka sat in her bed, propping the pillow behind her back. Within seconds, she was plunged in deep thought.

Why the frustration?

Hatsune 'loser' had finally won a battle. It never happened before. Change startles. Luka nodded at this affirmation; she was uncomfortable with Hatsune being neutral to her actions.

Why?

Luka rubbed her temples. She was only in the second question and it was already getting confusing. Why would she care? She felt that if Hatsune were any other person, she would just give up the teasing after a few failures and abandon teasing anybody altogether.

This sparked something in her mind.

No…if Hatsune were anybody else, she wouldn't be teasing that person. She wouldn't be teasing anybody.

Why was she teasing Hatsune?

Luka felt a headache build up. After months, and only now she asked herself this question? It was ridiculous.

But, better late than never.

Luka inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. She was too awake to fall asleep, so it wouldn't bother to close her eyes for a moment. If it were any other morning, she would have practically fainted.

But not today.

Why? Why, why, why?

Luka re-played the scene in her head, trying to analyze what she felt and when.

She and her friends were talking about the concert. To be frank, that night had been in the best in her life. Seeing Miku, in person! It was a dream come true. Her only regret was not having been able to get an autograph.

So, after Hatsune giggled, was confronted by the group, and displayed the autograph for their jealous eyes to see, Luka felt her blood boil.

Wait, wait…too fast. Rewind, please.

Back to the talking, Gakupo said he liked 'Imitation', she herself liked 'Innocence', everybody agreed on her opinion…wasn't it a little fishy, that everybody always agreed with her? Honestly, it was getting weird.

Then, Hatsune made her presence known.

Luka felt her gut clench remembering the little, happy noise she made. For some reason, it made her feel…odd. She remembered freezing when she heard it. Luckily Kaito was the one who picked up her role.

Then, Hatsune shrunk in her seat, as expected, and Gakupo asked if she had gone to the concert. Luka remembered adding the cursed autograph demand.

Then the little brunette pulled out on of those cursed papers. Miku is known for always using the same paper from the same notepad and the same ink from the same pen for every autograph she signed. And, there it was; same notepad, same royal-blue ink.

Again, Luka remembered feeling her blood boil from jealousy. Seeing that cute face seem confident, yet a little uncertain, made the taller girl want to scream in frustration-

Wait, what?

Luka felt as if she had thought something wrong, but couldn't remember what. Shrugging mentally, she continued her mental investigation.

It wasn't really jealousy, she felt… The previous day, she had thought that she felt pride, but now that was off the list. For some reason, she wasn't as puzzled as she thought she should be about Hatsune getting an autograph. Miku was known for being kind, and would hand out those papers without caring how the person looked.

Yet, this didn't seem to explain the feeling of logic that filled her. For some reason, it almost made sense that Hatsune would get an autograph.

Why?

After the display of the paper, Luka had spontaneously thought 'if I don't get an autograph, nobody does' and ripped the paper. She had no idea why she had thought that. Normally, she never sunk that deep. Miku's scribble on paper was worth HUNDREDS, if not thousands, of dollars. Luka normally respected valor, but right then…

She almost felt as if it was all right.

Why?

Of course, being well brought up by her parents (teasing Hatsune was practically the only (huge) flaw she had), she felt extremely regretful of her actions a second after performing them. But, she didn't let it show. When Hatsune grinned, she re-felt her gut clench. Then, the girl had spoken those words; 'It's so funny, that you think you can break me like that!'

'Break'? Where did she get that?

Oh…yeah.

But…she thought that was funny?

It couldn't be explained.

Luka sighed, seeing her digital clock change to six thirty. She had been thinking for approximately fifteen minutes, yet still no solution came to mind.

Her ultimate question; why did she care?

Luka grit her teeth; she wanted this frustration to end right there and then, she wanted Hatsune to fall again, to reassure her that this was all some bad dream, some phase that would go by.

Yes…she will find out what she's hiding. Because, now it's certain that the little girl was hiding something.

As Meiko said; who can be that imperfect? Luka devised her plan...for some reason, she knew where to start.

Her hair seemed to hold the perfect amount of secrets to shatter.

* * *

><p>Miku practically threw her alarm clock against the wall.<p>

The previous afternoon had been HELL. So much was going on…she had no idea why, but suddenly the halls where three times fuller, and everybody was walking three times faster. Like…three malls stuffed in one, and all the stores had announced over the intercom that every store sold everything for free for only fifty seconds.

Miku felt as sore as an apple that just rolled down a graveled hill. Elbows, knees, shoulders, corners, walls, water coolers, doors, so much had bumped into her that day. And her feet hurt, simply because half the time she was trying to go into THAT direction, in THAT hall, and not THERE, in THAT hall.

In short…she was extenuated, completely empty.

When the alarm rang again, signaling that it was time to leave for school, Miku woke with a start.

Darn…she was going to be late…

She felt too tired to care too much.

* * *

><p>Miku trudged in class about an hour late; she had missed the train, having fallen asleep at the station. Then, she started sleep-walking on her way towards the building.<p>

It had never been this bad, never.

Miku started regretting her decision to come to school the moment she sat down. She should have stayed home…

She heard a voice in her back, and immediately identified it as Luka's, but she couldn't make out what she was saying. Everything was a blur. The teacher's constant yammer seemed impossibly slow, and the sneering voices in her back all seemed to come from one person.

Everything was so slow, all of a sudden…and yet, when the bell rung, signaling that the hour was over, she was just awake enough to barely believe it, yet too tired to be confused for more than a half a second.

When the next teacher came in the classroom, Miku could swear that she was sitting on a cloud. Now, not only did everything sound blurry, but her sight was messing up, too. The teacher's desk was on the wall, and everybody was on the ceiling.

'Hatsune, pay attention!' she could barely make that out. Wait…what did that mean?

'Hatsune, sit straight and listen!' what an angry voice…people should calm down.

"HATSUNE!" Miku sat straight immediately, eyes wide open, but she couldn't figure why. She heard a sudden explosion of laughing, but couldn't care less. Suddenly, her forehead was hit with a hard surface.

"Hatsune, stop fooling around, or I'll send you to the principal's office!"

Miku grumbled a bit, and opened her eyes. Wait…since when were they closed? She saw an angry history teacher glaring at her, as her head rested on her desk.

The girl immediately sat straight, making sure that her head didn't fall again. Everybody was still laughing, but Miku still couldn't care. As the adult seemed satisfied with Miku's 'awareness' and returned to the blackboard, Miku just rested her tired head against her palm, and waited the hour out.

Everything returned to the blurry world she just escaped from, but she made sure she stayed conscious.

Or as conscious as she could possibly get.

* * *

><p>When Miku heard the bell ring, she felt as if she'd been delivered from hell.<p>

The whole day was nothing but a blur. Strange, short dreams came and went in front of her half-open eyes, the latter always begging to close_ just a little more… _

Miku almost couldn't handle it anymore. The only thing that was on her mind by the end of the day was a bed, a pillow and a long night rest.

'This…is pain' she thought with every single step she took. Even though each step meant she was closer to rest, it also reminded her how long she still had to wait…a five minute walk to the station, ten minutes in the train, and ten minutes walking to her house.

That was…twenty…too long. Too long for her to make any number of it.

She just staggered outside, not really seeing anything, but she almost felt used to it now. She heard the laughs as she passed by, but she though 'meh, I'll feel embarrassed by that later' and kept going with her zombie pace.

Yeah, she probably looked like something. If awake enough, Miku would have been willing to bet her career that she had paler skin than usual, had dark, ugly bags under her eyes, might have a bit of drool down her chin, and walk like some half-dead ape.

Guess what? She's right.

Miku suddenly felt her world turn upside-down. Was this normal? Everything was moving…

Cold, chilling water brought her back to reality. Miku opened her eyes wide, seeing that she had somehow landed in the pond, face-first. Laughing resounded from all around her, but Miku felt her gut clench.

She looked down instinctively, and saw what she feared; a small cloud of brown gliding through the water. That wasn't the mud that she stirred by landing in the water; it was the paint, leaking from her hair.

Miku shrieked, getting up, and ran.

The laughs were now gone, everything was gone. The only thing she heard was her heart beating in her ears.

She had to go, far away from that place, and see what damage had been done.

Miku barely heard the yells and footsteps behind her. She realized with a near heart-attack that she hadn't fallen into the pond; somebody had pushed her.

She had pushed her.

Luka had pushed her.

Fighting back unexplainable tears, she pressed harder, forcing her tired, aching limbs to carry her faster, farther. Feeling adrenaline scrape away any ounce of fatigue she had, Miku now saw everything crystal-clear. She needed to escape.

Turning left, then right, then left again, every time fearing an impasse, a dead-end, a trap, anything that would stop her escape, she tried to flee away from those who had finally taken a real step to destroying her.

Miku suddenly tripped, feeling airborne for half a second, seeming like an eternity. In her hyper-aware state, she couldn't help but count every millisecond she was losing. If they caught up…

She shuddered.

Picking herself up almost before she landed, she resumed her sprint.

She shouldn't stop.

She can't stop.

* * *

><p>Miku felt her throat burning like a forest fire.<p>

For a full half an hour, she had tried to escape those pests. Now, they had finally deemed it impossible to catch her, and retreated to their homes.

Already feeling the evening creep up on her, Miku calmed her racing, aching heart as she looked around.

She was back at school.

She had been running in circles, then.

Without really knowing what to do now, she simply turned her sprint into a jog, then a walk, still advancing towards the school.

Miku finally realized how scared she had been; she was on the verge of losing her life. If they had seen what color her hair really was, then the whole secret would have collapsed. Her whole existence would fall apart. She would be surrounded by media, by 'friends' that she absolutely didn't want, by everything she had tried to avoid.

And…she nearly brought that nightmare to life.

Miku chocked back a sob, realizing who had started this.

Luka had almost broken everything. Not only her normal life, but…

The relationship they had. For some reason, it pained Miku to imagine Luka going from her every-day hell-service to the star's-friend-wannabe. It hurt to think of Luka catering her every need, treating her like a queen, submitting to her every whim and desire.

For some reason, all of a sudden, what they had until now seemed great.

Miku collapsed at the water's edge. She just stared at her reflection in the pond water. She saw with relief that no teal showed past the thick brown paint.

Miku woke from her thoughts, and ran a finger through her long locks. The paint chipped as her finger broke through it.

She sighed. While the pain removed at contact with special plastic, it also dissolved at water. Except once it's touched by water, it must be completely removed with water.

Miku sighed, dipping her hand in the clear liquid, and ran her fingers through her hair once again, attempting to get all of that paint out.

The girl felt the fatigue catch up on her, and her eyelids closed half-way.

As she ran another finger through her hair, from bottom to top, feeling the cold water wet her shoulders and run down her face, she couldn't help but feel…

So incredibly alone.

Miku knew she was going to be alone, and for a while. And, having the career of a singer, she was sure that any relationship she might have had great chances to just crash and burn.

Now, Miku felt what she truly wanted was a friend. Somebody to just help her through life. Somebody to lean on, somebody to speak to. Not somebody she saw daily at work, not somebody who had already done the impossible to hide her identity, but somebody who would listen to her, who would reassure her, who would have fun with her.

Miku was no incredibly alone.

Feeling her tears mix with the water, she let them run.

Alone…loneliness…when confronted straight with it, it was terrifying. Thinking about it, talking about it, even living it, was ok, but confronting it, face-to-face…

It was shattering.

Was that the price she accepted to pay for a normal life? A normal, lonely life, instead the life of a diva, filled with company and fame?

Her stubbornness was wavering…was her decision really the best?

Would a normal live real happiness, like she hoped?

She was starting to doubt it…

Miku choked back a sob, feeling her chest tighten impossibly. She tried to take another deep breath, but a lump in her throat made her breathing difficult.

Why…why…why?

"Hatsune…Miku?" the sudden voice caught the sobbing girl completely off guard. All of a sudden, she felt the warm presence of somebody right behind her.

She was vulnerable, weak, tired and semi-suicidal. Anybody could just take a snapshot of her, and her life was as good as toast. And yet, she couldn't help but feel like she had just been sent to heaven.

She hadn't heard her own name…in years.

Miku didn't know what to think, what to feel. Somebody was by her…somebody she probably knew, and this person knew her secret.

Without second thought, the girl threw herself at the stranger. She wrapped her arms around the person's shoulders tightly, and just sobbed as hard as she could.

Everything was probably over. Her life could be fried…

"P-please…" she managed, just barely able to push the plea past her dry throat. "D-don't…tell anyone!"

Miku just kept on sobbing, feeling like lead on this person's shoulders. Said stranger didn't react, but if he did, then Miku had completely missed it.

Miku needed help; she didn't know who this was, what his intentions were, but for once…could life do her a favor? Could this person listen to her pleas, understand her actions, and comply with her wishes? Or was she condemned to hell, as this stranger just takes advantage of his knowledge and power of the girl as blackmail, or just tell the world straight out?

Miku tightened her grip, just wishing, wishing as hard as she could, that this person was a friend.

"I'm begging you…" she choked out once more, before resuming her sobbing.

A hand rested on her back, and Miku couldn't help but tense and relax at the same time. Was it a threat? an act of comfort?

After what seemed like an eternity of crying, Miku finally found the power to progressively stop her wild sobbing. She managed to slowly regulate her breathing, and seem at least a little sane.

But it was still hurting inside, she was still terrified.

So much could happen from now on…

Miku got up, feeling the stranger move to let her do so, and imitate her movement. The diva simply moved her hoodie up to cover her hair, not daring to look at the face of the person who knew hers'.

She started walking away, towards the train station. Her steps were slow, and heavy. She was exhausted.

Miku noticed that the stranger hadn't moved from his spot. Miku froze. She didn't want this person to just stay; she didn't want to leave his side. What could he do, when she wasn't looking? She wanted to know, exactly what this person's intentions were.

When the stranger slowly caught up with her, Miku felt herself relax, and continued the way. She didn't know if this person knew where she was going, or was simply going home himself, but in any case, he seemed to be following.

The voyage was painfully slow and uneventful. Miku never once glanced upon her savior/slayer. At the station, in the train, on her way to home, all the time walking slowly to not tire herself more, she never looked over her shoulder. But she felt the stranger behind her, never leaving.

When she reached her door and opened the door, she felt the person hesitate. A pensive atmosphere hit her, but she shrugged it off. She entered, and the stranger followed. Miku heard the door close behind them as she headed for the kitchen.

When she heard the door open again, Miku dared open her mouth.

"Please…stay" she begged. They needed to straighten things out, she felt. She needed to let this person know how important her secret was to her. Miku then proceeded to empty the fridge, looking for some water. A catastrophic headache was coming on…

"Uh…I don't want to bother you…" Miku froze all movement, feeling her headache dissolve like a breath in winter air.

That was Luka's voice.

The whole reality crashed into the diva like a freight train. Luka…knew where she lived. She knew her ultimate weakness. She knew everything. Luka knew. She knew. She _knew. _

Miku could feel an enormous anger cover her senses. Luka…

Time to make a few things clear.

"You aren't that much" she replied, trying her best to contain the headache that just came back. She remembered everything Luka had done. Anger seethed through her limbs, finally catching up.

Now that Luka knew exactly what she was, now she could freely make a few points.

"Well…not much more than earlier" she finished, taking advantage of the situation. Luka was probably confused beyond limits. This was the perfect moment to just stick a knife between her ribs in return.

"Are your parents-" Miku interrupted the taller girl with a glare from over the fridge door.

"What parents…?" she asked, holding the gaze, trying to convey her fatigue, her pissed-off-ness, her 'I've had it, and won't have no more' in a simple glare. "Megurine Luka?" she finished again. She saw her guest practically shudder. It must be quite a change, to be the one being kicked, instead the one kicking.

"You…live her alone?" she asked, almost shyly. Miku almost snorted mentally. How confused she must be…already trying to find answers.

But that word struck a chord in her. 'Alone'. All she ever wanted was to have a normal life, to be left alone. She wasn't about to change that, simply because some high-school princess found out about her.

Miku slammed the fridge door closed, still boiling. Alone, alone! The one thing she seemed to want, and the one thing she feared the most! As if she wasn't asking herself enough questions!

What did she want, huh? What the hell was her world made of? How the hell was her life going to end? Alone, three times divorced, with not even her singing career left? Or was it going to be Alone, never married, no friends or fsmilly, with only her singing career?

Alone, alone! Was that the only thing that she had left?

"Yes, I live here alone" she seethed. "I clean alone. I work alone. I go to school alone!" Miku was now shouting, yelling in Luka's direction. At every finished sentence, the scholar flinched, though never broke the gaze. "You can say I live a whole haunted life alone!" she yelled, straight in the taller girl's face.

Luka was only able to look utterly appalled.

"And if you don't understand, that's fine by me! I mean, congrats! You found out that I am the famous idol, Miku!" the ranting singer stalked towards the cupboard as she yelled with strong insult and sarcasm, where she held an extra bottle of pills. She swallowed a blue one whole, too angry to consider taking water.

She turned towards the other girl, who was still a statue.

"You want answers, right?" she asked. Luka's eyes widened considerably as she heard the voice change. From masculine low to perfect high. "Like, why the hell am I doing this to myself. Why the hell don't I ever stand up for myself? Why the hell I let you starve and torture me? Why the hell I'm alone?" she paced around, not capable of keeping in one spot. But never did she break the eye contact.

Luka didn't move.

"Well, I don't care! All I want is to stay alone! So shut the hell up about everything that has ever happened tonight, and leave! Leave me alone!"

Suddenly the world seemed to spin. The events of the previous days finally caught up with the girl. Miku couldn't see straight, her head felt heavy and her limbs felt warm and numb. Finally, everything went black.

Luka could only remain frozen like she had been for the last hour or so. She was frozen when she saw the girl wash out her hair, she was frozen when she cried on her shoulder, and she was frozen when she seemed to faint right at her feet.

She was still massively confused. Nothing wanted to make sense, all of a sudden. She had the impression the she was having a nightmare that wouldn't let up, that wouldn't leave.

Seeing Hatsune just…transform into Miku sent her living world upside down. Hatsune was…shy, timid, spineless, and pretty much pathetic. Miku was outgoing, brave, and had character.

But this evening just told her 'what do you really know of Miku?'

Miku is a pop star, a singer. Those were facts. But what about her everyday life? Nobody knew anything of that.

This far Luka was capable of thinking. But…Miku being Hatsune? Hatsune being Miku? That wasn't possible, Luka's mind wasn't able to accept that.

Luka blinked, and realized that now, her role model and daily victim was just snoring on the ground in front of her.

She was at loss, for half a second. Her mind still couldn't understand what just happened, and now she had this additional little problem.

Luka inhaled deeply, grabbed the diva by the arms and tried to drag her towards the living room. She slowly managed to place her on the couch, and took a seat for herself.

The scholar just stared at the sleeping form in front of her.

Who was she?

Hatsune Miku.

Luka shook her head. While the entire name seemed to fit…she still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact.

Both people, idol and school target, where the exact same person.

Luka started biting her nails, a nasty habit she had only when she was confronted with a real problem.

Both were the same…

That meant that day after day, she had been pestering an idol. And at the concert, she was cheering a loser.

Who was she confronted with?

To Luka, it seemed as if these two personas were completely different. They couldn't possibly be the same!

She inhaled deeply.

"Ok…" she said quietly, as if to reassure herself that this was all real, and that she wasn't hallucinating.

Luka tried to connect the dots. Why would this make sense, why wouldn't it?

She always heard that the diva's life was difficult. Maybe Miku was trying to escape that? Trying to lead a normal life?

But…would that be worth it, to be pestered day by day?

Once again, Luka was hit with that never-ending question; why did she pester her in the first place?

She glanced at the sleeping figure once again.

Miku…was more than mad, when she spoke up. Luka thought that maybe she knew it was her all alone, but once she had dared say something, Miku just snapped.

It was utterly terrifying. It was her idol, with her classmate's voice, yelling at her. Not only that, but those eyes were _ice cold. _She swore she must have frozen, literally.

But besides that, Miku had managed to get her point across. She knew that Luka was baffled as ever. Was it her face, or an understanding of the situation?

Maybe both.

But in any case, Miku knew exactly what questions Luka was asking herself right then. Besides the 'why the hell do I torture her?' one.

Luka sighed, finally deciding that those questions would be answered later. If she confronted Miku when she woke up, then she would get her answer.

Confront…Miku. _The_ Miku.

Luka nearly slapped herself. She was in the presence of the all-time famous Miku!

No…Hatsune Miku.

Luka groaned. No…nothing made sense anymore.

She glanced once again at the sleeping star.

That face…looked exactly like Hatsune's.

Come to think of it, both looked pretty much exactly the same. She only needed to change her hair and…voice, to throw the world off.

Luka shrugged. This was a mess…her mind was a mess…she was straying from one thought to the other, without focusing. She couldn't just choose one fix something to think about!

She shook her head again.

She would get answers, she reminded herself. Miku would tell her when she'll ask. And for why she was constantly teasing her…

That answer seemed so close, yet so far away…

Luka sighed, grabbed her bag, and got up.

For the moment, she'll keep Miku's secret, if it'll get her answers.

* * *

><p>The office was dark and empty. Only a desk, with a big leather chair occupied the space. Both were black, and the desk was empty, besides the phone and computer, and a small picture frame.<p>

A man suddenly entered the space, opening one of the two doors that could be seen. A jolly laugh was heard, along with a departing word, and the door closed again. Said man lost all traces of happiness or even expression, and merely sat in his chair, opening the laptop and turning it on. After a few seconds, the lit screen became the first and only light source in the room. The man clicked for a few moments, before looking at the picture. A smile adorned his face.

Seconds later, the phone rang. The man immediately picked up, knowing who it was.

"Why, isn't it my favorite nephew?" he said with a jolly tone. An angry voice came from the other end. "I'm working on it, don't worry" the other voice stopped for a moment, before restarting, with an interrogative tone. "Yes, I'll get her in there…yes, don't worry"

After a few minutes, he laughed.

"Anything you want"

He put down the phone, and smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>And there we have it! Hope you enjoyed~!<strong>


	4. The Start Of Something Better

Luka sighed and switched off the TV. She had left from Miku's residence, and had managed to process the information.

It was simple, really. It was only difficult to believe that such a shy girl could be so popular in reality. All she wanted was a normal life, and Luka had helped making if hard. She still felt the immense guilt, and decided that she would make herself forgiven.

She couldn't stop teasing the girl. It would seem odd and out of place. Luka would just have to temper it down a little, like not ruin her food (Miku mentioned she was starving most of the time) or homework. Or whatever homework she managed to do. She could go to her house every now and then, and get to know her. Then, she could be forgiven.

It was a simple plan, but it seemed a little off, for some reason. It left a weird taste in her mouth.

Seriously, trying to be friends with the girl you teased?

Well, she was just going to get to know her, not really be friends, thought Luka.

Sighing again, she grabbed the magazine on the table. It was new, she hadn't seen it yet. Normally she didn't read those shiny books, but she had nothing better to do.

Her parents were out, there was nothing good on TV, and her Karaoke was broken of overheat. She didn't have the mood to do anything else.

Humming a small tune, she flipped over to the next page. The large article on the top right corner caught her eye.

'_Crypton Music Producers Contest.__The internationally famous Crypton Music is holding one of the greatest contests of the year. One person, one winner, will have the chance to sing one song, and publish it in the company's name, also winning all money gained from the selling's.__It is a great opportunity to start a music career. The auditions will be help in the Crypton's audition room at 3 o'clock, this Saturday. Immediate eliminations will be held at the entry, then the fifty lucky contestants will each sing one of Crypton's famous songs.__The winner will then write, or select a song, and sing it to sell.'_

Luka stopped reading. She loved singing, but she never had in public. Her parents assured her she was an excellent singer, but Luka had never sung outside her house.

And which song? Luka knew almost all of Crypton's songs, the famous ones, and could sing them all by heart.

Looking further into the article, she found that the entry is free. She could go there with her friends, and participate. Even if her chance of winning was extremely meager, there was one.

She put the magazine down. Looking at the clock, she found it was almost ten. Sighing one final time, she went to bed.

* * *

><p>Miku felt nervous. She was extremely harsh the last evening, but it was pretty much fatigue who was working on her, not to mention the frustration.<p>

But she had no idea how long Luka had stayed. Miku fell asleep on her homework again, and felt slightly guilty when she woke up.

She had never yelled so much so loud, only once before. Apparently it wasn't a pretty sight. And Luka looked positively terrified. Even though the girl was taller, stronger and on a higher popularity level, she almost didn't squeak. Miku had made herself too clear too quick, she thought.

But also, who wouldn't react like that? Seriously, this shy mishap turning into a popular diva in less than a minute? It seemed incredible even for Miku.

The girl decided not to talk to her at school. It would look odd. But she had no idea how she could face the girl, either.

Miku stepped in class, and her breath caught when she saw the group already there.

Calming down her panicked heart, she took her seat, and pulled out her stuff. She didn't do her English again.

Luka looked at the girl. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the unfinished paper with a small stain on it. Apparently Miku slept on her homework.

She felt guilty again. If she wasn't there, then Miku could have finished it.

"So, Hatsune. Didn't do your homework? Were you too busy sleeping?" teased Haku. Now that Luka knew the situation the girl was in, this insult seemed terrible, even if it was small comparing to the usual.

The groups suddenly looked at the taller girl, expecting her to add something witty. Luka realized she couldn't at the moment.

"Not in the mood" she stated flatly. Miku's head perked up slightly at this.

"Don't get your hopes up, Loser" snapped Meiko. "She's just not in the mood. It doesn't mean she likes you" Luka's throat constricted as she remembered what she girl said. Were all these people really her friends? They suddenly looked suspicious.

"Hey, Luka! Have you seen the article in the Crypton Magazine? Offer looks interesting, right?" noted Gakupo. Luka nodded.

"Yeah. Though it seems difficult"

"Yeah, right. All you have to do is sing! You can sing, right?" said Meiko.

"I guess. But great singing isn't that easy. It's like inspiration, it doesn't come when you want it to. Only you can work on it"

"Well, how well can you sing? The contest is tomorrow!"

"Ok, I think" Miku was deep in thought. Contest? She had heard about some contest, and some new singer, but wasn't already past? Or were they preparing it? She decided to ask her manager about it.

"Well, I _know _you sing better then Hatsune" laughed Kaito. Luka would've agreed a day ago, but now it seemed wrong. How fast these things can happen.

"Of course! Who sings worse than Loser?" she pushed out. The others around her laughed loudly and started pushing Miku's chair. Luka then got up, and said she was thirsty. She didn't feel good after that.

* * *

><p>Miku stepped out of the train, and stopped when she heard her name. She turned around and saw Luka running towards her.<p>

"Hi, Luka" the atmosphere felt awkward.

"I have to go to the office quickly. I need to work on a new song"

"I thought as much. I just wanted to apologize for insulting you today. I don't know why, but it felt wrong" Miku smiled, surprising the taller girl.

"You don't have to apologize. I know you had to. But I have to apologize for last evening. I was harsh"

"I think I deserved it" they started walking. The two remained silent for a while. Just before Luka had to go her way to her house, Miku spoke.

"Luka, wouldn't you want to see the studio?" Luka couldn't respond for a while.

"Well...I don't know"

"Come on! I know you like to sing! And besides, I'm offering, so it doesn't bother me"

"But what about-"

"Forget about my being enemy or whatnot. I always feel alone there, and now that somebody finally knows, I can bring that someone!"

"Well, I don't have homework, and my parents come home late, today..."

"So it's a yes?"

"I guess" Miku's smile widened.

"Great! Then come with me, then I can show you were the limo is!" Luka nodded, and followed the star home.

* * *

><p>Luka was in Miku's bedroom, while Miku was in the bathroom changing.<p>

Her room seemed empty. Just a desk, a bed and a small closet. All three were in different corners, and there was a small white rug in the middle of the room.

The entire place had no personality whatsoever. No decorations, no posters, no books, no color. Everything was painted wood brown, was real wood, or was white. It was extremely dull.

Luka looked over at the desk, and her heart skipped a beat. Strewn over the piece of furniture were countless pieces of paper. They were the original scripts of Miku's most famous songs.

They weren't nearly as neat as Luka thought. They were covered with lines, some others scribbled out entirely. But the paper was never folded, and the writing was neat.

Pencils, pens, markers, erasers, white-outs and pencil sharpeners were crammed in one small jar. They were clean, and many, countless empty pens or short pencils filled the trash can. No paper was thrown out, not one.

Looking closer, the backs of many scribbled out songs showed other songs, sometimes also scribbled, or neat and clean. But they were never thrown out.

Luka could only imagine the amount of time the girl spent on one song.

"I never throw them out because they are all important to me" said Miku as she entered the room. She wore jeans and a white shirt with 'I did it, but I'm blaming you' printed on it. Her voice was her regular high-pitched one, but her hair was still brown.

"They are like friends, those songs"

"What do you mean?" Luka asked.

"You don't throw away a friend. You even go to death for a true friend" Miku said, smiling. "Those songs are my friends. They portray what I felt at the moment I wrote them, and help me move on" Luka nodded.

"You still have your brown hair"

"Oh, silly me. I sometimes forget that..." she took out a pair of gloves from her jacket pocket. Before Luka could ask, Miku ran her gloved fingers through her hair, the paint disappearing immediately.

"Special paint" she stated simply, leaving Luka at awe. "The gloves don't work anymore when the paint gets wet" when the girl finished, she put her hood up, and left the apartment, Luka following her.

So, your limo is parked further up so that people don't know it's you, right?" asked the taller girl. Miku nodded.

"Yep. If Steve is there, don't be intimidated by his huge size. He is really nice"

"Steve..."

"My bodyguard. I don't need one in school. The teachers take care of me"

"The teachers know?" asked Luka, incredulous.

"Of course! Why shouldn't they?" Luka was slightly shocked. So, the teachers knew, too...

"There it is" Miku pointed her chin in the limo's direction, and Luka started getting nervous. Would they let her come?

The duo approached the long vehicle. Luka wondered why they didn't use a more discreet one. Really, one can see a limo from afar.

The door opened before they even had the time to.

"Hi, Steve!" said Miku cheerfully. A tall, strong-looking man stepped out, still holding the door open. He wore those stereotypical black glasses and tux, had blonde hair and tanned skin.

"Hello, Miku. I see you brought a friend, and about time, too!" he smiled kindly in Luka's direction. Luka timidly smiled back. This man was so tall...

"This is Megurine Luka. She found out my secret last night, and I explained it to her. She accepted to help me. Luka, this is Steve"

"Hello, miss Megurine. It's about time somebody decided to help Miku"

"Nice to meet you, Steve-sempai" he laughed.

"No need for formalities. Just call me Steve" with that, the trio entered the limo. Luka's eyes widened when she saw the interior.

The leather seats were red; and there was a cooler and a TV. It was just like in the movies. Another man sat in a chair. He was also tall, but not as impressive as Miku's bodyguard. He had smooth black hair, and no glasses. His attire was neat, even if it was just a shirt and some pants.

"Luka, this is Dorian, my manager" Mike presented as she sat down. Luka sat next to her. As Steve sat opposite of the man called Dorian.

"Nice to finally meet you, Luka. Miku has told us so much about you" he said with a toothy smile. Luka smiled shamefully.

"I bet it wasn't all that good" he laughed.

"How in the world is this girl this cruel goddess Miku describes us?"

"Dorian!" yelled Miku, turning slightly red. Luka raised an eyebrow.

"Heh, Miku hold a bunch of admiration for you, kid. Can't stop saying how jealous she is. You have friends, a normal life, not being tortured the whole time..."

"You don't have to be mean about it, Dorian!" the two men laughed.

"I'm just kidding, kid. Just tell me, how did it finally happen?" Luka let go of her breath. These were actually pretty nice people. But she never knew Miku admired her...

"Well, Luka decided it was a good idea to wake me up yesterday afternoon" Miku said with a grin. "The day before was exhausting, filled with people pushing and running around. I really was tired, and Luka was thoughtful and kind enough to push me in the pond to wake me up! Really, I couldn't have wished for a better way to end the day!"

"I get it!" yelled Luka, blushing. She felt guilty enough as it was. They laughed.

"At the time, I had no idea! And I was bored, too...and you looked downright scary" Luka grumbled.

"It's ok! It all ended well, didn't it?" said Miku cheerfully. The two adults waited for the rest of the story.

"Well, for about an hour, Luka chased me with her friends. The paint in my hair was going, and I was really scared. I finished back at the pond, and Luka found me there, just as I started removing the rest of the paint. Of course, she was so shocked, she had no idea! I threw a depression tantrum, and cried on her shoulder, having no idea it was actually her. So there I was, hair all wet, crying into confused Luka's shirt!" Luka grumbled something inaudible, making the others laugh again.

"Then Luka came home with me, because I asked her too. I felt alone, and I needed to talk to her. But once I knew it was her, I threw a tantrum. I grew mad" Dorian whistled, and Steve fanned with his hand.

"You don't want to see Miku really mad...it happened only once with us, but it was an utter nightmare. You got lucky she only got mad, not really mad" said Steve. Luka shivered. That was only first degree furious?

"Well, I threw the facts in her face, but I passed out just as I was making my point. I really was tired. When I woke up, I was slightly calmer, and explained the rest. She seemed to understand. I was still bitter, so I left her there. Then, the next morning, I found myself drooling over my English homework, and she was home"

"You actually did leave me there" said Luka.

"So, what's going on, now?" asked the massive build man.

"Well, since she's the leader of the growling tribe, she can't just stop" Miku said. "I hope you will only insult me, I grow hungry, and I work hard on my homework" Miku looked over at her, and Luka looked like some aggravated character from a Manga. The straight downward mouth and the single, huge, flat eyebrow.

"I had to choke out the single insult. It doesn't feel right. And it's awkward, because you are a famous singer. Not to mention I am, was, will be...your fan"

"So, what is it? Am, was or will be?" asked Miku with a sly look.

"You're enjoying this, are you?" deadpanned Luka.

"On récolte ce qu'on sème" said Steve.

"He can speak French" said Miku. "And what does that mean?"

"You get what you give" he responded with a huge grin.

"Oh, great" they laughed.

* * *

><p>When Luka entered her home, she was really tired. Not really physically, but a lot has happened.<p>

The studio was immense. There were recording rooms, singers, managers, janitors, tourists; everybody seemed to have been there. And apparently that day it was calm! Miku had explained that two days earlier, the halls were so full, it felt like a manifestation. But it still did.

Only in the recording rooms was it quiet. Miku had to sing a few songs, and a bunch of people worked with her.

Luka now saw Miku differently. The life of a star really wasn't that easy. She had a bunch of papers to read, had to listen to a billion different people, remember the different names, and wrote new songs.

The image she held of her before was completely false. She passed as the lazy, not working, aloof, shy girl, but in reality she was a hard-working, million name rememberer, and task goddess. No wonder she failed tests. No wonder she always seemed exhausted.

But the most surprising was that she was really nice to her. Luka was shy and felt weird about talking to her, considering their relationship, but Miku seemed to have forgotten it. She was open, asked her questions, gave her a tour, and told her how things worked.

Luka got to watch her write her newest song. Miku didn't know the title yet, but she knew people were going to love it.

Only at one moment, the girl was called by her manager, and Luka had to wait in the hall. The people around her were also nice, and asked her questions. But she mainly talked to Steve during Miku's absence. He was nice, and spoke many languages. When she learned that he knew perfect English just as well as she, they were able to hold a real conversation in that language.

Miku seemed slightly bummed when she got out of Dorian's office, but she got her spirits back quickly.

Luka was brought home, just before her parents came back. She went straight to her room, and took a nap before dinner. They talked about their day, but Luka had to lie and said that she took a long walk. Who would believe that she went with the famous Miku to her work?

Now she was in bed, wondering how Miku was doing with her homework. Apparently she was bad at English, mainly because she couldn't study.

Luka wondered if she could help her one day. English really wasn't that hard, you just needed to study a little.

Letting her thoughts drift away, Luka fell into the wonderful land on dreams.

* * *

><p>Miku had just finished her homework, for once. And now she was able to sleep in her bed...finally.<p>

It has been a long day. But it made her smile.

She wasn't able to be with somebody else for a long while. The last person she had had as much with was her caretaker. But after she died, the days at the music department grew so lonely.

Being able to be with somebody like that, even if it was Luka, made her smile. Even if they weren't even real friends, it felt nice. Dorian and Steve, as were the rest of the crew, were very nice with her.

Dorian...the thought of the manager brought another thought to her mind.

The contest the next day, with the singer thing, was finally revealed to her. Crypton had decided to do something original, to boost their popularity. Now she knew what Luka was talking about earlier today.

But the reason why she was told this was a total different matter. She was going to be one of the ten judges there. Not to mention the one with the most importance. She was going to have to crush dreams of forty-nine people. It depressed her.

But it was also going to be weird because Luka said that she planned to sing there. Miku was told not to hold any friendship preferences, only think of how popular the singer was going to be.

Though that didn't worry her that much. She just didn't like the idea of being judge. It seemed depressing, such a job.

Feeling the fatigue take over her, the girl quickly fell asleep, not being able to finish her thoughts.

* * *

><p>When the alarm rang, Miku was happy that she put it to twelve in the afternoon. She really needed the sleep. She now had three hours to prepare for the contest.<p>

Brushing her messy hair, she selected her popular concert outfit. It felt comfortable, plus it reassured her. Her caretaker had made it for her, and it emitted a feeling of kindness.

She stepped in the car parked further up, and drove to the audition room.

It was full to the brim with people. People with the word 'crew' printed on their backs were standing on tall ladders, checking lights, or doing sound checks, official, high-ranked people were talking about important junk, and the judges were in the corner of the room, discussing. Miku headed in their direction. She knew they were the judges because they wore white uniforms. They were almost all men, and that kind of shook her. Couldn't women also decided of a person's talent?

"Hi! Are you the judges?" they nodded, and started assaulting her with rules.

"Hello, Miku. There are a few rules. One, we may not take judge about appearance, race, gender, language, physical state, attire, or age. We must not take preferences, like if you find a certain boy cute, or if it is a friend or family member singing. Our decision must be unanimous. Clear?"

"Yes, sir!" she said playfully, but with a serious undertone.

"I will be the chef. I will announce our final decision. My name is Mikuo" said a tall man with strange bright green hair.

"I am Yuki. I will announce the next contestant every time a person finishes, and the song they will play" after the presentations, Miku was handed a list. It was filled with blank lines.

"The list of names will be there after the eliminatory round. Once we have the list, we can write comments on this blank paper. Miku nodded.

"So, when are we due here?"

"Well, the eliminatory rounds are in progress, so in about one hour, we can start" spoke Mikuo. Miku found it a strange coincidence that he almost had the same name as she, and just a little greener hair then she did.

"Good. I'll go look around."

"Don't speak to anyone. There may be contestants who will try to bribe you" after hearing this, she frowned. She wanted to see if Luka was there...

* * *

><p>Luka in question just passed the eliminatory round. Hundreds of people were after her, and hundreds were before her. She sung the older song 'imitation', and the judges had huge grins on their faces when she finished. They said that she was certain to pass, and they showed her to the waiting room.<p>

She loved to sing. It was her favorite pass time, but she never exploited it.

She felt good when she sang. Only the rhythm and the beat existed, and the lyrics flowed out of her mouth. She forgot everything, all her worries and problems. All she felt was joy.

Her friends have wished her luck when she entered the building. They said they would watch. In fact, the contestants didn't sing only in front of judges, but in front of a whole public. Like some free, but cheap concert.

"Hey, I'm Len" she looked up from her water bottle. A short, but handsome-looking boy stood in front of her. He had messy blonde hair tied up in a pony tail at the back. He had blue eyes, and a happy smile. "I really hope to pass. I liked to sing since I was small" Luka smiled, happy that she had somebody to talk to.

"I'm Megurine Luka. Nice to meet you"

"I'm Kagamine Len"

"So, what did you sing?" she asked.

"Spice. The judges were really enthusiastic when I finished"

"I sang Imitation. Those guys also seemed to like it. What made you enter the contest?"

"I actually need the money. I want it. Good thing I like to sing. But it's not my favorite thing" Luka's face dropped. "What about you?"

"I did because I love to sing. I don't need any other motivation" she said. If she was going to lose against this boy, with only money in mind, then it would feel so terribly unfair. He huffed. The 'let's be friends' mood was crushed.

"Ok, please listen! Here is the alphabetical order of the qualified contestants!" yelled a man with a megaphone.

Luka listened anxiously for the M to appear in the list. Three people with A, then ten with B, the list went by so slowly.

Luka felt more anxious than expected. She wanted this more then she thought.

"Kagamine Len" the name rang through her head. So the little boy was qualified? She listened with her heart throbbing as L passed.

"Megurine Luka" those words released her from a whirl of stress. So she was going to sing! She felt so happy. She was finally able to exploit her talent, and show it to the world. But there was this other thing, she couldn't put her finger on it.

When all fifty contestants were named, Len wished her luck, and the real tournament was to start in fifteen minutes. Luka felt as if the boy was mocking her.

* * *

><p>Miku took her seat. Her contestant list has been handed to her, and she ran over it carefully. There were a lot of people she was going to listen to. Each was going to sing a different song.<p>

Her heart stopped when she saw Luka on the list. She actually was going to do it. Plus, she was singing Imitation, not the easiest of songs.

She gulped, and hoped that she was going to put up and impressive display.

* * *

><p>Miku was slightly bored. All these people could sing well, but none of them really struck out to her. It seemed as if they were just blabbering out something to some beat.<p>

Some had a nice voice, others had a great rhythm, but none of them stood out.

Now some boy of thirteen was going to sing Spice.

As he stepped out on the stage, he received a bunch of 'aw's from the public. Sure, he looked cute, but the judges weren't thrown off. Especially not Miku.

He started singing, and the judges started smiling. He had a great voice and sense of rhythm. He had balance, and put kick in his words. He had this magic around him. But, for some reason, Miku wasn't convinced.

He wasn't singing. He was cheating, she felt. And the magic, it was going to fade away at the moment he would shut up.

Miku was right. It didn't last. His singing didn't leave a mark on the star. Putting a 'maybe' next to his name, her bored routine continued.

Then, it was Luka's turn. Miku didn't feel anxious for her, she was too bored. She felt that maybe, she could try to seem enthusiastic for her, but she couldn't.

Luka seemed not the slightest scared as she stepped on the stage. She took the microphone from the boy, and waited as the music started.

Miku looked at her. The tall girl was just standing there.

Miku raised her head.

Luka wasn't just standing there. She was swaying with the music. Not something very special, but...

When she started singing, Miku knew it from that point on.

There was a twinkle in her eyes, a magic in her movements. Some 'thing' made her convincing.

Her voice wasn't the best for this song, but it was nice and smooth. It was with the beat, in the melody. It rang with some tone that made the magic last.

Miku knew that it had nothing to do with them knowing each other. It had nothing to do with her admiration for the tall girl.

Luka just loved to sing.

Miku knew that she loved singing just as much as she. The feeling her voice gave was pure happiness, it radiated with joy. But it still held the mood of the song.

When she finished, Miku still felt it. What crushed her, was that the adults didn't. They didn't even seem moved by it.

Miku felt a small tantrum build up, and she circled Luka's name on the list.

She had to win.

Miku retreated with the other judges in the secluded room. They took their seats, and took out their notes. Mikuo started speaking.

"I think that Kagamine boy did a great job. He will be very popular, that is for sure" Miku knew it. They were deceived. But the rules stated that they must take their turns. So the man next to Mikuo spoke.

"I agree. Such talent at such a young age it remarkable. And it will only build, for sure" Miku grit her teeth. This was going to be quite one-sided. And nobody said it wasn't going to be in her favor.

And so it went, each man, and in Yuki's case, woman, spoke their words. They all thought it was Len the great winner.

It was now Miku's turn, and at this moment she was boiling with rage.

"Len has rhythm, balance, and can keep up with the intricate melody" she said quietly. The others nodded, waiting for her decision.

"But he can't sing" she decided to throw it at them. As expected, they grew deadly quiet.

"I think it is Megurine Luka who should get the prize" the room remained silent.

"Well, Megurine does have a nice voice, and she does have talent, but-"

"But what? She isn't _that _young anymore? Age is disregarded, remember?"

"Yes, but Len is just better"

"No, Len in louder. Don't you see?" she almost yelled, gripping that table.

"No, I don't" she stood up, an icy glare in her eyes.

"She loves to sing. She has what it takes. That boy just wants fame and money. She does it for the hell of it!"

"How do you know?" demanded Yuki. Miku stared at her.

"The look in the eyes. The grace in the movements. The pure feeling of happiness she emits, the magic she leaves in one's soul!" she yelled.

"To be frank, Miku, we are by far more impressed by the boy"

"Are you all blind!" her voice was so loud and intimidating that it froze the air around them. Miku was sure the audience heard her. She was now getting really mad.

"You only listen! You have to see it! You have to see the music! I didn't see Len! He didn't see it! Luka, she felt the music, she saw it, she owned it! The song was hers! Don't go tell me I am wrong, because you haven't the faintest clue of what the hell I'm talking about!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "And when we go out there, I expect you to say her name, or else I shall strangle you with your own hair!" she directed the last part at Mikuo. He smiled.

"Well, it does seem that Miku knows what she is talking about. And she actually sings. I suppose she might be right" Miku stood straight and crossed her arms.

The other discussed it through whispers.

* * *

><p>Luka felt her stomach clench. Whispers were running through the audience. From what she heard, a person was yelling in the room the judges were discussing.<p>

She had seen Miku as she stepped off the stage. Miku was looking at her in a way she thought she was furious. Was she now yelling because the judges chose her?

Well, why not? Luka had made her life hell, Miku did have the right to ruin hers in return. She saw Len talking with a bunch of other singers.

"You see, the judges were smiling when I left! They seemed super happy! I bet I will be chosen!"

"Are you having fun telling lies?" Luka threw at him. He turned to face her.

"Well, from what I saw, Miku was glaring at you! You are the last they shall choose!"

"But Miku seemed bored to death when you were singing" Luka did sneak a peek through the curtains two minutes in the song, she didn't deny it. The others oooh-ed at that.

"Well, we'll just have to see!"

"Everybody! Positions! The judges are walking out of the room! They have chosen!" yelled the dude with the megaphone.

Luka rushed to her place, right next to Len and some other girl. They were in alphabetical order again.

The curtain rose, and Luka saw them all looking content with their choice. Especially Miku. A tall man with slightly greener hair then Miku's stood up.

"Well, you understand you all gave your best, and we had quite a few yells discussing who would be chosen. You all are great singers, but we could only choose one. Miku was very determined to get her opinion known, and she convinced us from making another choice. Len, we understand you have a great voice. You can sing very well, and you did impress us greatly"

"Told you" said Len. Lucky growled silently. Luka's fists tightened. So Miku did fight against her...

"But, regrettably, you didn't impress Miku. Therefore, we must name the true winner of this contest" Len gasped, but Luka had already lost hope. Why would they choose her?

"She was nearly as good as Len, but Miku was impressed. She had her soul in the music, and had a magic that Miku was familiar with. She knew that this person was destined for great things. Ladies and gentlemen, please applause the winner of this contest..." Luka saw Miku look at her with a smile on her face. Not some mocking smile, or a mean one. A genuine smile.

"Megurine Luka, contestant 28!"

Time slowed down. Luka stood there, not believing her ears. As her friends went on stage to congratulate her, and the crowd applauded, and as the directors of Crypton came to greet her, she couldn't move.

She actually won the contest. Among fifty people, she was the winner.

The other contestants shook hands with her, and the girl returned a smile.

She was now able to sing whatever she wanted, and get it published. People will hear her, and she will be known and popular.

Luka would be the new hot topic at school. She will be in magazines, and gain a lot of money. But Luka didn't care about all that. She was allowed to sing for others people.

"Well, who would've expected, right?" the voice tore Luka from her thoughts. It was that person who made her win, despite their pasts. Her friends separated to let that person through.

"I helped you win. But I have to hand it to you, you can sing" Miku spoke to her with a smile. She held out her hand.

"Congratulations!" Luka smiled, and shook her hand. Now, she felt something new for this girl. Not a mocking superiority, not pity, not fear, not respect, but real thanks.

"Thank you" was all Luka could say.

"Hey, I did my job! You could sing for real, that boy can't, I picked you!" Miku stated as if it were obvious. Luka's friends were watching the exchange with interest.

"But there were forty-nine others-"

"But you stood out" replied the star, poking her in the ribs. "And those old farts thought that the boy could sing. I had to yell really loud to make my point clear. I was madder then with you two days ago!" Luka froze. She went that far for her? And how could she possibly be madder then she was?

"Wait, you know each other?" demanded Gakupo. Miku looked at him.

"Well, we crossed in the streets. She bumped into me, and I kinda got mad" she said sheepishly. Meiko huffed.

"I can't imagine you mad" Luka shook her head.

"It's not something you want to remember, but it scares you for life..." Miku laughed at that.

"Well, you have to go to your manager. He will tell you how this all works. I'm going to talk to mine, then I will tour you around the place" the crowd oo-ed when Miku said that. Luka was getting a tour from the great idol!

Luka followed Miku to a smaller man after parting with her friends. He looked strict and demanding.

"This is your manager. He tell you how these things will work" Luka nodded.

"Hello, miss Megurine. I expect much from you, seeing that Miku fought for you so much"

"I understand" she replied. He took out a few papers.

"Your legal guardians will have to sign these. Understand that you will write and sing one song that will enter in the next album, and you will gain all profits from all the discs you sell. You may work for as long as you want, but once your song is finished, you will be requested to leave the building" Luka nodded. This guy was making it look lame.

"There. Don't lose those papers. Now, please wait for Miku here. I have some things to take care of" Luka watched the small man run away on his short feet. She looked in Miku's direction, and saw her talking vividly with her manager, Dorian.

"I'm telling you, if she's a huge success, you have to keep her!"

"We can't do that, Miku. The prize was one song plus all gains" Miku crossed her arms. She was about to get angry again. When she was determined, she didn't stop.

"What if she breaks all records? What if her success is immense? What if her new fans will demand more?"

"Well-"

"What if she agrees to a permanent contract? The sixty-forty percent share?" Dorian sighed.

"If she appears on top of the charts within the day, beating you by at least fifty percent, then we can talk about it" Miku smiled.

"Then we have a wager?" he nodded.

"If you win, dear Miku, with Luka passing you within one day with the sufficient amount of hits, then you win, and we will discuss a permanent contract. If she doesn't meet all that, then she will obey the laws of the contest"

"Deal" the two shook hands.

"Say, Miku"

"What?"

"You didn't fight for her because you know her, right? You didn't make that all up?"

"Well, if I did, why would I help her? Even if I do admire her, she still ruined my days. If I helped her, it is because I was sincere"

"Well, Miku you sure know how to talk" Miku smiled, and turned to leave.

"What was that all about?" asked Luka, curious. Miku smiled.

"We made a bet" Luka nodded.

"Well, I already gave you a tour yesterday, right?"

"Yeah, I guess"

"Then, we can already start your song!" Luka gulped.

"I don't know how to compose..." she looked shy.

"Don't be silly. Just imagine a nice tune with cool or sweet words, then put it to paper! I'll help you with the last part!"

"Why doesn't that sound easy?" asked the taller girl.

"Because inspiration isn't caught in a butterfly net" Luka groaned.

"Well, I have to finish writing a song as well, so let's go in my room to write!" she said happily. Luka raised an eyebrow.

"Your room?"

"Oh, I guess I forgot that. Sometimes I stay here overnight, so I have a few spare things in my room here. It's supposed to be an office like Dorian's, but I transformed it into a bedroom"

The two talked about little things on their way, about singing, composing, and all the nice people there.

"See, the man there with the red glasses?" Luka nodded. "Well, he is really nice, until you spill his coffee. He then gets really, really mad" they giggled.

"Well, here is my little home not-at-home!" Luka gasped. It was much better then Miku's house. It looked clean, and it smelled nice.

"It's lavender. It helps calm down headaches" Miku moved to a desk which was an exact replica of the one in Miku's room at home. Filled with papers, but here there were bins on the floor, each with enormous amounts with paper.

"All my songs are here. I mostly write here, but some are at home. I put finished ones in this bin" she pointed to a blue bin "re-useable papers in here" a green bin "un-useable scraps here" a red bin "and new, empty pieces of paper here" a yellow bin. Miku took a paper from the green bin.

"Whatever you aren't sure of, put it on a re-usable paper. Anything official, on a new paper" Luka nodded, and took a scrap.

She thought hard. She had no idea what kind of song she was supposed to write. A love song? A more tense, dramatic one? She had no idea.

She looked around. The way the furniture was placed was identical to Miku's room at home. Maybe not to be too confused when she woke up here.

Nothing decorated the walls, no images, and no mirrors or small, needless things. Just the strict necessary.

No rhythms popped up in her head. No lyrics sprouted from the depths of her mind. Luka sighed, and looked at Miku.

She was doing absolutely nothing.

"What are you doing?" Miku was just sitting there, eyes closed, doing nothing. She sighed.

"Nothing. If you try too much, or even a little, nothing comes. It is better to let something come to you. Memories help a lot, and dreams do too" she opened her eyes. "But I see you are having trouble" Luka nodded.

"Well, you need a big opening. Something huge to announce your existence, I believe. Something brutal, but not harmful. You don't want to pass for an egoist"

"Is that supposed to reassure me?"

"You think too much. Let it come to you"

* * *

><p>Luka was writing furiously. An idea had popped up half an hour ago, thanks to the memory of a party she had enjoyed very much.<p>

It announced her, it was brutal. But it was elegant, and nice to listen to. It was perfect dance music. Miku rose her head from her paper, she was also writing.

"So, any luck?"

"Uh-huh" said Luka, lost in her writing.

"What's it called?"

"I don't know yet" muttered the taller girl.

"Mine is progressing nicely, as well. But the title is already evident for me..." muttered Miku in return. She was trying to finish the last verse.

"So, what's it called?" Miku shrugged.

"Love is War" Luka looked up.

"What inspired you to write that? An actual experience?" she said teasingly. She rose and stood next the idol, looking at the lyrics.

"You could say that..." said Miku. With a jolt, she wrote the last line. Luka looked at it.

"Well, this is pretty hardcore..."

"Take a look at what you wrote" Luka took her paper and handed it to her. Miku ran her eyes over the script, smiling.

"I like it! With the correct instruments, it will sound great!"She muttered. Some notes were slightly off, but it was still a nice piece for her first song.

"Just look over the instrumental part, but the lyrics are fine!" Luka sighed in relief. She wasn't going to make a fool of herself.

She wondered what to call it. Unlike Miku's song, the refrain resembled slightly at each repeat. And every time, one phrase was repeated. Deciding that should be the name, she scribbled it on top of the page.

"I decided on the name" Miku looked at her. "Luka Luka Night Fever" Miku smiled.

"I thought so. That phrase is repeated, so it would be obvious! Well, once you're finished, put it on a fresh sheet"

* * *

><p>Luka's manager looked at the sheets. Luka couldn't tell what he was thinking, dark sunglasses covered his eyes, and his eyebrows didn't move.<p>

"Did you write this by yourself?" he asked. Luka approved. "This is your first song?" she nodded. "This is quite impressive. I congratulate you. But now it is getting late, you may want to go home" Luka looked at Miku.

"What time is it, then?"

"Almost nine thirty" she answered with a glance at her watch. Luka paled.

"I got to get home!" Luka's manager smiled.

"We can call them right now, and tell them you're ok"

"Can I call them?" he nodded, and gave her his cell phone. Luka had forgotten hers in her room. She dialed her number, and waited.

"Hello, Megurine residence?"

"Hi Dad! It's me"

"Luka! Congratulations with the contest! You aired everywhere! On the radio, TV, hell you're international news right now!" Luka laughed.

"And guess what! Whatever money you are to gain, you're already getting it! Already two million people have pre-ordered the song, and/or album! I'm transferring all the money from my account to yours, you deserve it!" Luka gasped.

"They already-"

"Yes, it's all taken care of! You can stay there as late as you want, but be careful on your way back!"

"Thanks, Dad"

"My pleasure" then Luka hung up.

"It's fine. I can go home as late as I want" Miku smiled.

"I'm jealous. You really love your parents, right?" Luka nodded, remembering Miku had none.

"Do you want to go home now? I suggest you do, you don't want to be too tired" Miku said.

"But I don't know how I will..."

"We can order a limo for you" said her manager.

"Can I use it to go home as well?" Luka nodded.

With a smile on her face, Miku led the to-be-star outside.

* * *

><p>Luka was really happy. She just received an e-mail from her manager saying that all the instrumental parts from her song are great, and that they will record it the next day.<p>

Her friends have also written her, passing congratulations, and her parents were very proud of her. They asked how it was like, and if the famous Miku was really that nice in person.

Even though Luka didn't have legal access to her bank account yet, she knew how much there was in there, and the numbers were quickly rising. Her future was assured.

The only thing on her mind was the bet Miku had with her manager. She seemed really sure of herself, but one could never tell with bets. Plus, Luka had a feeling it had to do with her.

Feeling the fatigue catching up, she fell in a deep, blissful sleep.

* * *

><p>Miku was very happy. Even though they weren't even real friends, it almost felt like that. They were now coworkers and they shared a secret. It's been forever since Miku dreamed of having somebody at work with her.<p>

But Miku worried for her. Luka was going to be assaulted by more 'friends', and will see her popularity increase dramatically. She will be the new hot topic.

But after a while, the heat will die down. If Miku loses to her bet, then Luka will return to the regular girl she was. They wouldn't be able to talk any more.

And with that, Miku knew that she would be forgotten. Luka, surrounded by all those people, will eventually forget her. The teasing might continue, or she will be completely ignored. For some reason, Miku felt sick at the thought.

She wanted to be with Luka. She was the closest thing to a friend she had ever had.

Miku's chest tightened. She had to make Luka win the bet. Or help her win.

Thinking that all that should be left for the next day, she slowly fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Luka woke at the ringtone of her cell phone. Who would call her at nine am at a Sunday?<p>

"Hello?" she said sleepily.

"Hi! It's Miku!" Luka sagged back into her bed.

"How did you get my number?"

"Dorian gave it to me. He wanted me to tell you that a limo will pick you up in fifteen minutes to bring you to the studio. You have a lot of work to do!" Luka gasped, the wonder on how Dorian had her number gone.

"Fifteen minutes?"

"Don't tell me I woke you up!" scolded Miku from the other end. "When you know that a recording session is the next day, you get up early!"

"How could I know?" demanded Luka.

"Well, I'm constantly tired, or did you not realize?" Luka groaned.

"Fine...see you"

"I'll be at the office waiting for you!"

"Great..." Luka hung up when she heard the beeping from her cell. This was going to be a really long day...

* * *

><p>Luka arrived at the studio. The refreshments in the limo helped her wake up, and now she was ready for pretty much anything.<p>

"Hey, Luka!" called Miku as she ran towards her.

"Hi" she responded shortly.

"Ok, I'll have to explain to you some things..." said Miku as she led the taller girl to the recording rooms. "First, when they're recording you singing, you have to have your head in it. Not only in the lyrics, but your whole mood, your expression. You must live the song"

"That sounds cliché"

"I don't care. What I know, though, is that you know how to do that" Luka raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"During the contest, you owned the song. You know exactly what I mean. If you're not feeling sure, then follow me to my recording session. You can watch me sing the song I wrote yesterday" Luka remembered it was a very dramatic song. Was Miku going to get all dramatic in the studio? An image with Miku holding a skull appeared in her head.

"Well, here we are!" chirped the girl. There was a door, and to the left was an empty room besides a microphone, and to the right was the room were all the music is played. Miku put on the set of headphones, and stepped in the middle of the empty room, in front of the microphone. Luka went in the other room, pushing past the group of men with headphones on. They were manipulating a whole ton of buttons, it was a miracle they knew which was which.

When the music broke out, it started soft. She saw Miku put on a serious face, and she tapped her foot to the beat.

Miku sang in harmony with the music. Luka could see rage in her eyes as she sung the words, the feeling of jealously slip into her voice. It was almost an actor. The skull came back.

It flowed beautifully. Luka was sure she needed years of practice to reach such a level of perfection. When the music finished, the magical feeling remained. The feeling Luka got every time she finished listening to one of the star's songs. In this song's case, a want to hear it again, or you will drown in despair.

Miku stepped into the same room, and took a headset. Luka watched her listen to herself, and sometimes scowl. Apparently, Miku knew what she was handling.

"Ok, we will have to do it again. I don't feel it" she stepped back into the room. Luka wondered what could have possible went wrong. Wasn't it perfect?

No, it wasn't. Miku sang better then the last time, to the point tears were seeping out of her eyes at the end. She really was in the mood; she really was feeling the sentiments of the song. She listened again, nodded, and went to Luka.

"That was impressive" Miku giggled.

"I do that every day! I get used to it"

"Well, your turn, just sing your heart out, don't worry about us" Luka nodded. She knew her lyrics by heart. After thinking about them for hours, it was going to stick.

She couldn't see the other room from where she was. It was a vast, white room, with only a microphone in the middle with a headset.

She looked to were the window is supposed to be, and grabbed the hearing material.

"Are you ready?" asked a voice. She breathed deeply.

"I suppose" she heard small beeps, at the rhythm of the song. When she spoke the first words, the music followed.

Miku watched her sing. She listened through the headset. Luka didn't feel in the music quite yet, she felt.

Luka was holding back, she was feeling shy. Who wouldn't the first time in a recording room? Miku remembered. She was only nine at the time, and she felt pretty worried.

"Turn the music up" she said to the man charged of the volume. He looked at her.

"She doesn't feel it. She needs more music"

He complied.

Luka heard the volume increase. She wondered why. Was it to reassure her? To encourage her?

Luka felt she was holding back, she was a little scared. She was recording her own song, singing in front of a bunch of strangers.

She could show those strangers what she was made of.

When the song ended, Luka thought.

"Could I try it again? Right now?" Miku's voice came in her headset.

"Of course! Don't hold back! You know what, I bet you can beat me in the charts!" Luka smiled. Miku had been holder of the top chart record. The artist who help first place for the longest time without dropping to second even once. It was now up to five months. Luka knew it would be a feat to push her off. She knew it would show the world what she could do.

Speaking the same words, and the music started again. But this time she felt it. The same as the time in the contest.

Letting the music bring her away, she fell into a deep trance.

When Luka stepped back out of the closed room, the others were smiling. Miku ran up to her.

"That was great! Hell, he even started dancing!" a man with a red tie blushed. Miku winked at her.

"You are going to top me off, for sure!" Luka laughed.

"I can't! You are already up there for five months!" Miku blew a raspberry.

"So? That doesn't mean you can't push me off!"

"So, both recordings are ok?" asked red-tie man. Miku thought for a moment.

"Not mine, but..." she turned to Luka. "Personally, I think that your song is perfect!"

"Ok. We will send it to the production department" Miku nodded.

"Production department?" asked the taller girl.

"Oh, they put the song for sale on the internet, and put it in the next CD. Normally the CD comes first. Then it will be put up for sale everywhere!"

"Well, everywhere is a big place..." Miku grinned.

"You have no idea"

* * *

><p>Miku looked at the charts anxiously. Luka's song was put up for sale the day before, in CD format and mp3 on the internet. Seeing that the girl had finished her song, she was officially let go, but Dorian had told them of the bet. After a small fight, the company agreed.<p>

Luka had one hour to appear on top with fifty percent more popularity then her. But for now, Luka was close second. Really close.

Luka had become extremely popular. Her victory at the contest was small, but when the news learned that Miku had fought for her to the point of getting mad, she was quickly recognized.

Luka's song was a popular demand. People wanted to know how good she actually was. But it still wasn't enough.

Sighing and turning off the computer, she rose, schoolbag around her shoulder.

It's been a week since the contest. Getting the song everywhere at the same time was hard work. It was released Sunday, and now, Monday, Miku was going to get the result of the bet.

She had slipped into the computer room during the lunch break. She needed to see the polls. But now she almost regretted it.

Luka hadn't talked to her at all since the beginning of the last week. She was constantly asked questions about the company, Miku, the song, or even herself.

But no reporters ever came to Luka. One day they did, and Luka swore that if she ever saw them again, she would kick all their butts. She was so fierce, they all retreated crying.

Luka hated the Media. The paparazzi was a nightmare to her. Miku understood. But then how could Luka face all these people who asked her more questions than the men with cameras?

Miku already missed her at the office. She was alone again. And she had failed another test. But Luka didn't even mock her for it, like she was supposed to. She was too busy answering stupid questions.

Miku was now outside, sitting under a tree. It was warm out, and every student was searching for shade. But the huge group, right there, was Luka's group.

Miku felt a tear roll down her cheek. She already felt alone. She knew she had lost the bet. Even if she still had one hour, it was not enough. She was now nothing to the tall girl. Not the person who had given her fame, not the person who had helped her get the fame. She wasn't the person who had uncovered her secret.

And now, in about two weeks, Luka would have forgotten it all, as the other people. Miku would go back to the top in the charts, but to the bottom in Luka's respect list.

Luka would forget Miku. It made the smaller girl cry. Luka was the closest thing she had ever had to a friend...

* * *

><p>Miku was in class, writing down things her teacher said. She was so sad. The deadline has just passed, and Miku knew she was now doomed to return to her old routine. Except now it would be worse. She was given a hope to be ripped from it again.<p>

A vibration in her pocket tore her from the teacher's monotone voice. From the rhythm of the vibration, she knew it was Dorian. He only called when it was super important.

"Uh, Sir?" she raised her hand.

"Yes, Hatsune?"

"Can I please go to the bathroom?" she raising her left arm, signaling that it was important. It was a code between her and the teachers. Right arm meant normal stuff, but left arm meant real business. He excused her.

Miku quickly stepped out of the class and into the girl's bathroom. She flipped out the small cell phone, and answered.

"What, Dorian?" she demanded. Dorian answered happily.

"I don't need you to gloat, Dorian. I'm depressed enough as it is!" he laughed.

Miku gasped after a minute.

"Dorian, get me the limo"

Luka laughed with her friends. This was great. Her popularity has just increased immensely, and all that thanks to Hatsune…

But it felt too crowded. All these people who she barely knew were surrounding her, and she honestly didn't like it. And Miku's fear of such fake friendships kept coming back to her.

Plus, she missed the girl, for some strange reason. She wasn't able to go anywhere without these creeps. They followed her everywhere. They even had her address.

If she managed to escape the professional Media, these people were unshakeable.

As she stepped out of the building, the whole crowd grew deadly silent. Luka looked from her friends, and felt her blood chill. Her fake smile fell.

There was Miku, in person, in front of a long, black limo with her arms tightly crossed. Steve was at her back, looking bigger then he used to. Miku had a small, but pronounced frown, and her glare was icy cold. Her blue eyes saw through souls.

Nobody has ever seen the star this mad. She was downright furious. Only Luka has seen her before like this, but it still sent chills down her spine. She wished to never see her like this again. Was this Miku when she was really mad?

"Hello, Megurine Luka" the idol spoke with stabbing cold words. Luka heard a whisper from behind her back.

"You are so in trouble…"

Why would Miku be mad? Luka thought she would understand why Luka couldn't see her. She avoided Miku for the girl's own sake.

"What is it?" she asked timidly. Miku took a step forward, and the immense crowd, all besides Luka, stepped back.

"You topped me in the charts" Luka's mind froze. She beat Miku? But didn't the girl say that she expected that? Then why would she be mad?

"S-sorry, then..." she shook. Miku's stare really was intimidating.

"I thought you were going to forget me" spoke the smaller girl very quietly, her glare softening slightly. Luka then read something else. What was that?

"How, how could I forget you? You helped me win, you helped a lot!" she did her best not to stammer. In fact, she was sure she tried so hard it was impossible to understand. Luka then became confused when Miku's icy cold expression turned warm and happy.

"Congrats! I really knew you could do it! Seriously, you went bigger than me by seventy percent!"

"Sev-seve-"

"Seventy! That is _this_ close to my greatest song! And do you know what that means?" Luka shook her head, completely dumbfounded. She beat Miku? She was mad, then happy? What in heaven's name was happening?"

"Crypton wants to work with you as one of their head singers! If you want, you can sign the contract and work with me!"

"Wait, a professional singer?" asked the taller girl. Was this part of the deal?

"Yep! That bet I made? I bet you would beat me by at least fifty percent, and I won! If you accept, then you will be a professional!" Miku's laugh was contagious. Luka started smiling, too.

"Really?"

"Really! Talk about it with your parents, and if they're ok with it, then you will work with Crypton!" Luka was extremely interested by this. She always wanted to become famous, and this seemed to be way to it.

"Can I ride with you?" she asked. "I have a few questions..."

"Of course! We'll drive you home!" Miku gave a small wave to the crowd, and disappeared into the limo.

"Luka, what in my mother's potato pudding just happened?" demanded Meiko. Gakupo and Kaito followed her.

"To be completely honest, I haven't the faintest idea!" said Luka, smiling wide.

Meiko was a bit puzzled. First, world-wide known Miku comes up with a look who could kill, then announces Luka beat her, whispers something else which Luka responds something nobody understood, and then they become happy, and Miku announces Luka can become a professional singer.

What. The. Pigeon just happened.

"Well, I'm going to get some answers, so see you tomorrow, ok?" the trio nodded, and Luka disappeared in the vehicle.


	5. Letting The Play Fall

Luka looked around the limo, actually a bit puzzled. Miku came to school, limo, bodyguard and all, with this huge glare plastered on her face. Next thing Luka knew, Miku was the happiest person in the world and was talking about some bet.

Luka was actually happy Miku saved her from that crowd. She couldn't take the Media; all those cameras made her shy. But those students with no cameras but just huge mouths were hard to chase. First, they were so many, Luka couldn't take it. Plus, they were really nice; they just asked too many questions.

And Luka couldn't forget Miku's fear of those fake friendships. Luka was now surrounded by these people. It worried the new star. She just hoped the news Miku was giving her was good.

"So, what was that all about actually?" she asked the smaller girl. Miku was all happy with a huge grin glued all over her face.

"You remember that bet I made, right?" Luka nodded. She knew Miku had already said this, but Luka didn't understand a thing. Miku was just so happy and was talking so fast.

"Well, the bet was that you would beat me within the day in the charts, with at least fifty percent more popularity then my last song. I got a call from Dorian, and apparently some popular site reviewed your song, and it made it climb to seventy percent in less than two minutes!" Luka was wide-eyed. Her song was that popular? It was just some song.

Then again, she was new. People wanted to know what she was capable of. But Luka still had a question.

"But what was with the huge frown? I mean, you froze the whole crowd back there!" Luka wanted to know that. She only wanted to be scared like that for a reason. Mad Miku was scary. The smaller girl sighed, calming down a little.

"Well, you didn't speak to me the whole week. I was kind of frustrated by that, I thought you have forgotten me" Luka shook her head.

"You know I wouldn't pull that crowd in your direction. And they were super annoying. I wanted to talk to you, but those jackals kept following me. It feels nice speaking with somebody who isn't asking questions" Miku giggled.

"I know what you are talking about! I thought about that, but it still bugged me a little" a small silence filled the vehicle. Luka realized Miku still hadn't answered her question.

"So why did you pick me up?" Miku started getting exited again.

"Well, I won that bet, right?" Luka nodded. "Well, if I lost, then you would go with the rules of the contest. But I won, so you have to option to sign a permanent contract with Crypton!"

Miku explained the whole thing to the taller girl. Luka took it all in, and began feeling exited as well. When they arrived at the destination, Luka stepped out. Then the tall girl remembered something.

"Actually Miku, would you like to meet my parents?" Miku froze.

"Can I?" Luka grinned.

"Well, they have been asking about you, and they always wanted to meet you. They are fans of your music" Miku smiled.

"Cool! I'll come!" the two girls walked towards the house, and Luka opened the door.

Miku was actually feeling a bit nervous. She was going to meet Luka's parents. She had never really met a real pair of parents. She had never had any, and never met any friends'.

It felt strange, not knowing something most people did, even one of the most ordinary things. But a parent isn't ordinary, right?

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Miku started fiddling with her sleeve. What are parents like? Did they force you to work, or were they nice and did everything for you?

"Already? Didn't school just end?" asked a feminine voice coming from upstairs. It was soft, but mature. It sounded a lot like Luka's.

"Well, a person I'd like you to meet brought me home!" Luka led the girl up the stairs.

"My parents are always busy. They are editors, and need to do a lot of work" Miku nodded. Apparently parents worked for their children. Miku liked that. She wished she had her own, she was always busy.

A tall woman with long pink hair to the shoulder blades was sitting at a computer screen next to a man with white hair. They were both dressed in comfortable clothing, and each had a cup of coffee in their hands. When they turned from their work places, Miku saw that Luka's dad didn't shave that morning. Their faces were kind, but implied respect and authority. Despite the man's white hair, he seemed very young, no older then forty.

Their eyes opened wide when they saw their guest.

"Mom, Dad, this is Miku. Miku, these are my parents" The two adults stood up and walked over the star, smiles plastered over their faces.

"I'm very honored to meet you!" said Luka's mother, her grin widening. She wore no make-up, and it surely wasn't necessary. "Luka has been talking about you for the longest time!"

"Mother!" the two adults laughed. Miku smiled. They were nice people. She liked them already, and her nervousness disappeared.

"So, for what reason do we have the honor of your visit?" asked Luka's father with a deep but smooth voice. They sat in the living room, and Miku was taking in her surroundings.

The whole house had a comfortable aura around it, just like the people who owned it. Everything was clean and wore a slight perfume. Not too many things filled the rooms, yet they weren't empty, either. On the contrary, there were places to sit, tables, and even a piano in the corner of the room. Miku wondered who played it. She thought it was very unlike her own house. Hers was empty, with just the strict necessary. She never thought about decorating it.

Inhaling deeply, she started explaining everything, still looking around.

Luka's parents were listening with wide eyes. They were told the whole story about the bet, their daughter's success, and the outcome.

When Miku finished, all the listeners were smiling.

"So our Luka can become a professional singer at Crypton?" asked her mother carefully. Miku nodded.

"How much will she be paid?" asked the father. Miku took a deep breath.

"It depends. But she gets a forty percent share of the gains. That equals to around a few million American dollars per month or two"

A heavy silence filled the room. Luka's parents seemed deep in thought, but still bore a small smile. They were happy for their daughter, that fact was evident.

"Do you have the papers?" asked the father. Miku nodded again and handed them to him.

"May we think this over?" he asked.

"Of course. I can leave now, if I 'm being bothersome-"

"Of course not! Luka, will you get our guest some refreshments while we think about this?" said Luka's mother with a smile. Luka nodded, and headed into the kitchen while the parents retreated into their office. Miku decided to follow the taller girl.

The kitchen was wide and clean, and it smelled like vanilla. Luka was looking in the fridge.

"What do you want to drink?" she asked. Miku just wanted some water. Luka took out a few glasses from a cupboard, and served herself some lemonade.

"Why did you make that bet?" Miku was thrown back by the sudden question. Luka didn't sound mad or anything like that, just curious.

"I mean, I made your life a living hell, and you give me a chance to have a good career with good pay, and without having to study! Just helping me win the contest was a surprise" Luka handed the smaller girl a glass of water, which Miku gladly accepted. All that talking made her thirsty.

"Well, you're the only person my age who knows of my secret and the closest thing I have to a friend" Miku smiled. "Plus, you have to learn to forgive. You had no idea what was actually happening. It's understandable!"

Luka sighed. She knew she had heard that a ton of times, but it still bugged her. She deserved hell for what she did.

Luka's parents stepped out of the room, holding the papers. The two girls waited for their decision.

"Well, for us it's ok, and all income of money will go to Luka's account. But we are concerned for Luka's safety. You know you will be followed everywhere by the press, right?" asked the father. Luka nodded.

"And also, look out for those so-called 'friends'. They will do anything to be popular, and will use you" spoke Luka's mother. Luka smiled, she knew of that. Miku sighed.

That was right. Luka was going to stay in the school. She will be even bigger, now that she will be a real professional singer. Now, the popularity won't descend. Being able to talk to celebrities every day will give her attention.

"You sure you want to do this?" Luka smiled.

"As long as I get to sing, I'll be happy" Miku couldn't hold back her own smile.

* * *

><p>Miku sighed happily, and dropped on her bed. Luka and her parents had accepted, and Luka was given the same manager as before. He seemed happy; Miku could hear that from the other side from the phone.<p>

Miku and Luka were told to exchange numbers and e-mail addresses. Apparently it was important now, since they worked together. Miku was happy about that.

Now she had somebody she could work with, she wasn't alone anymore. And Luka had promised to help her with English, too.

Miku groaned when she was reminded of her homework. It was almost seven in the afternoon, and she still didn't have the chance to eat.

But she did have time for that work.

Looking in her agenda, she saw that she had two days to finish a history report. She had chosen a simple subject, even though it was a bit far-fetched: the roman conquest. It was an important piece of history, after all.

But besides that, she had a little math. Seeing that 'a little' meant three pages, she quickly got to work.

She liked math. It was simple and it had certain logic. It was the same in every language, but it was tiring. The subject required a lot of thinking and verifying. If one answer was wrong, then all of the questions based on that answer will be answered wrong as well.

And that was the case right now. Miku had to solve chain questions. Miku giggled a bit when she saw how it corresponded with her life at the moment.

She barely knew Luka, the tall girl who was the queen of the class. Then she had to find out something troubling: her favorite and only victim was also her biggest idol. Despite that, Miku helped her out, and in exchange Luka will try to help her. It was a huge chain reaction, in some sort.

Miku stuffed away the math, and turned on her computer. The report had to be twenty pages long, and contain at least eleven thousand words, and contain at least three pictures per chapter.

This was going to take a long time.

* * *

><p>Luka fell on her bed with a sigh. She was going to sing for a professional company! Her biggest dream had come true! And she didn't even have to study.<p>

Luka still felt guilty. She was given this chance-of-a-lifetime thanks to the girl she pestered. Miku should hate her but no, she had given her a great job. With no regrets, plus five bonus points.

But Luka knew Miku's words of wisdom were right, humankind had to learn how to forgive. It wasn't an easy task. Although Miku had pulled that off greatly, Luka still felt the guilt.

Miku was actually a great person. She was shy, but when she had to, she could be really mad. She got what she wanted, but remained calm and collected, and was mostly happy and cheerful. She took her job and responsibilities seriously, and yet she loved to play and have fun. She was an adult, yet she was still a child.

Luka didn't see why she didn't have friends in school. She was a great person to be with. After her parents had signed the papers, they had had a little mini-party. Miku was pleasant, polite, and humorous. Luka's parents loved the girl.

And yet, still no friends. She was shy and discreet in class. Maybe it was to help her hide her secret. Yet a friend always helps keeping secrets, right?

Then, does that make Luka a friend? They had gone through a lot of stuff in a few days. The taller girl kept the secret, the smaller girl didn't bother her with their past relationship. They got along, worked together and had fun.

But yet, they weren't really friends yet. Luka didn't feel that friendship-like bond. It was more of an agreement. Luka had friends. She talked with them, hung out with them, and went to the attraction parks with them. It wasn't that much different from her relationship with Miku. And yet it was terribly different.

She had no idea what they were. Acquaintances? no, that wasn't it. Comrades? no again. So what, if not friends?

Luka decided to put that to the side. Miku had warned her about the press. Luka had wondered why the press never hung around Miku, and that was because Miku hid well. She only ever appeared at work, and there she had interviews, and cameras were constantly on her.

Apparently, once the world would know that Luka had been taken in by Crypton, the Media would be back, but ten times worse. And this time, they won't leave. The last time they were amateurs. Now, she would face the tough dogs.

Luka had the choice to answer or not. No answer, she could just walk away. If she did answer, then she could stay there for a while. And anything she said could be fired against her.

Luka knew she wouldn't answer. Not because she didn't want to, but because she was shy in front of the cameras. Those glassy lenses who were staring her, displaying her on at least a thousand different screens around the world intimidated her.

Her parents called her for dinner, ripping her from her thoughts. Feeling slightly hungry, Luka went downstairs.

* * *

><p>Luka was greeted with a wave of people at school. She groaned, thinking how much worse it could get. The news will get to them tomorrow, seeing that it would be announced today, and published in the newspaper the next day.<p>

All these people were asking questions, and pushing around to see her. They all wore huge smiles and were extremely noisy. Luka frowned, but nobody noticed.

These people weren't like her real friends. Her real friends listened to her, and helped her with her problems. These people only yelled.

"Get out of the way, you foghorns!" yelled Meiko. She had a very wide insult vocabulary, and gladly used it anytime. Even if most of them weren't that rude, they were still bizarre and impressive. The girl pushed a bunch of kids past, and rushed to Luka's side. Kaito and Gakupo followed.

"So, what happened yesterday?" asked the brunette. Luka sighed.

"Was it that bad?" asked Gakupo, worried. Luka laughed a little.

"No, just some huge news"

"So what was with the frown?" Luka could barely hear Kaito's deep voice amid the yelling.

"Can we get to class, first? Then we can talk!" yelled Luka in response.

The four companions ran to class, trying to outrun the huge mob.

While running, Luka spotted Miku with her brown hair and misfit voice. The taller girl smiled and winked discreetly to reassure the star in disguise, telling her that she wasn't forgotten. Miku smiled in return.

"Look, there's Loser. We weren't able to have fun with her because of these idiots" said Gakupo. That was true. These 'foghorns' were all over the place. Miku hadn't been pestered in a while.

"Well, wait till the heat drops. Then we will have fun!" said Meiko. Luka smiled.

"The heat won't drop. That's the news!" they ran into the class and slammed the door behind them. They were ten minutes early, so it was pretty much deserted. The teacher only came five minutes later.

Luka sat in her spot, and the others sat around her, trying their best to ignore the yells from outside.

"So, what is it?" asked the blue-haired boy.

"I am now an official singer for Crypton" the news sank in for a few seconds. Even the air seemed to have frozen. As the trio processed the information.

"Seriously?" asked the taller boy in surprise. They all had wide eyes.

"Yup" Luka said, leaning back in her chair. She knew this was going to be big.

"Wow, they must really like you to give you that chance" Luka shook her head, she needed to be frank.

"It was a bet done by Miku, and she won in my favor" the other were in awe. Miku made a bet for her?

"Well, if she made the bet, then it was because she wanted you to sing, right?" Luka nodded slightly, feeling strange.

These people were her friends, but now they felt distant, for some reason.

"Hey, it's Loser!" Luka groaned silently. Couldn't Miku wait outside? Luka really didn't want to pester her after all the things the girl did for her. It felt really wrong.

But she breathed deeply. She had to do it, and Miku said it was fine. Luka was just about to speak her first insult in days when she caught Miku's eye.

She didn't sleep. The star hadn't slept at all, not the least. Under her eyes were bags, and her eyes themselves were red. In closer study, she looked like a mess.

Her clothes weren't taken care of, and her hair wasn't combed. Her bag was lousily stuffed, and a few crumpled papers stuck out.

What had happened? She seemed fine after she left for her apartment. She even had the time to do her math and history.

Wait, Miku never had much time. Maybe she had just started history, and didn't get to do math! She must have fallen asleep behind the screen in the wee hours of the morning.

But her gaze was cheerful and reassuring. Luka swallowed, feeling her gut clench. She really wished she didn't have to do this.

"So, mishap. Didn't sleep?" she sneered with her best mocking tone. Luka felt as if she committed murder while the others around her laughed.

"Yeah, you look as if you just tried to pull all of your popularity back up the cliff it fell from!" laughed Gakupo. Luka snorted. He was always pathetic.

But the two other laughed nonetheless. Luka saw the teacher enter, and sat down happy this wasn't going to have to continue. Her friends followed, still laughing.

Miku sat in front of the newer star, back hunched. Luka saw that the girl was able to complete her math homework. She sighed in relief. Then it had to be the history.

Luka took a pen and wrote down 'history' on the back of her hand. She was going to help Miku with that report this evening to make up for the insults.

A paper rolled on her desk. She carefully opened it.

_Luka, wanna go to the amusement park this evening to celebrate? _Luka sighed. This was Meiko's handwriting.

Luka thought for a moment. She might receive a message from her manager for something at her work, and she was supposed to help Miku. She flipped over the paper.

_Depends. _She flicked it with her finger to the seat a few rows further. Perfect aim. Another paper came back a few seconds later.

_What do you mean?_ Luka sighed.

_My new job isn't that easy! I might have to go to Crypton this evening! _She flicked it back. The paper didn't return. Apparently Meiko understood.

Luka turned around with a jolt when she heard a 'thump' from her left. She saw Miku was fast asleep, and half of the class was laughing. Not at Luka's fright, but at Miku's misery.

Luka felt horrible. These people had no idea. How could they be so mean? But, she was one of them just days ago. She was an ignorant fool back then.

Luka wanted to shake them all to reason. She wanted to hit the idiocy out of their skulls. Even though Miku was shy, she deserved a chance.

Luka wanted to wake the girl up, but had no idea how. Now they were talking about the Romains, and it would be precious information for her report. Luka remembered mocking the girl about the subject two weeks ago.

But how could she wake the sleepy star up? It would look suspicious if she started whispering of poking. Then, a memory of an article she saw in a magazine popped in her head.

**-So, Miku. What do you love most besides singing?**

_-I love leeks! Just the mere smell of them would wake me up in the middle of the night!_

Luka smiled. Leeks! The tall girl remembered her mother had packed a leek in her bag for lunch. Luka didn't adore those things, but it was better than nothing. Though Luka preferred tuna.

The tall girl rummaged in her bag silently, taking in information for the girl. Those Romains really loved power.

Luka's hand found the green vegetable. It was wrapped in that plastic stuff to hide the strong smell. Luka smiled and tore the protection, and put her hands on her table, and wrote down some notes.

Luka saw the girl jolt up and start looking around, resembling a nervous mouse. Luka stifled a laugh. When you knew the situation, it was really funny.

"Well, I would continue on the subject, but then it would ruin Hatsune's chance of presenting it tomorrow, wouldn't it?" asked the teacher towards Miku. Luka looked innocent, with her hands on the table, and Miku was looking around furiously.

"Yes..." said Miku distractedly. Her eyes darted from left to right.

Where was that delicious smell coming from? Miku's brain was trying to get the exact direction. She was really hungry, having no dinner the last evening, or any breakfast. That report was eating her alive.

Finally she turned around, and met Luka's even stare. Miku froze. Luka quickly smiled, and Miku understood.

Luka must have woken her up...what nice.

But she needs that leek.

* * *

><p>Luka was running furiously, her feet pounding against the tiled floor. Those jackals wouldn't let up!<p>

And that idiot Gakupo had told his other friends about her admittance to Crypton. What a traitor. Luka had no reason why he told anyone that. But now the whole school was chasing her, and everybody was asking questions. What a pain.

Meiko and Kaito had disappeared, devoured by the crowd. And all Luka wanted was a peaceful lunch!

She turned a corner, slipping slightly. Those fools were right behind her.

"Luka, why were you admitted to Crypton?" Luka groaned. She had told Gakupo. If he knew, they must know.

"Luka! Do you know Miku personally?"

"Is it true you are going to drop out of school?"

"Are you really dating Gakupo?" Luka's mind froze.

"WHAT?" she almost yelled. Her, dating that fool? Well, he was handsome, and had good grades, but she didn't have the slightest interest in him.

That must have been it. He was boasting about dating the girl who was working for Crypton.

That idiot!

Luka doubled her speed, turning another sharper corner. Half of the crowd slipped, giving Luka another few feet in advance.

Luka was sure she wasn't going to talk to that purple-brained fool for QUITE some time. She grit her teeth. Want to boast? Boast about the truth.

Another corner. This school was immense, but Luka knew this was the last one before going outside. Once outside, she would be caught for sure. The wide field would give the crowd space to maneuver around her.

Turning sharply, Luka felt her spine crack as a strong pair of hands pulled her in a room. The door closed behind them, and Luka heard them rush by. Gee, this was quite cliché, the pulling into a room and everybody passes.

"Thanks" was all Luka could breathe. Was she really that tired? That rage against Gakupo made her forget. She didn't know if she was suddenly thankful towards that lie all of a sudden or not.

"No problem!" Luka sighed. That was Miku. The girl must have seen her coming, and was nice enough to pull her out.

"Sorry again for the insult..."

"I told you, it's nothing!" Luka grumbled.

"Well, you seemed tired, and I hated to bother you like that!" Miku shook her head and crossed her arms.

"What does bother me is that you have a leek and I don't!" Luka laughed.

"Well, leeks are not my favorite, so here" she took it out of her bag, and Miku took a quick grab for it. Luka watched as the smaller girl hungrily nibbled on the vegetable. She looked so cute, with her hands that barely poked out of their sleeves.

Luka though the girl must have been famished.

"So, you didn't eat, huh?" Miku shook her head, starting to resemble a hamster. Her eyes were tightly closed. She seemed really content with the leek.

"And how's your history report?" Miku opened her mouth for a split second to answer.

"I barely was able to write down the first page! Those crazy Europeans did so much!" Luka sighed. Miku worked her butt off day and night. She really hoped she didn't have to pester her. Miku continued chewing in the cutest way.

Luka then realized that they were in the girl's bathroom. Nobody would come here, simply because it was a bathroom. This was the safest place to hide when a mob was chasing you.

Luka jumped when she heard a very loud, content sigh. Miku really loved leeks. Luka was now wishing she had her tuna.

"Did you receive a message from your manager?" asked the smaller girl. Luka shook her head negative.

"I did. I need to finish Love is War today at the latest. They want to put it in my newest album, with your song"

"What will I do, then?" Miku sighed.

"They can ask you a variety of things. One, they can demand a music video for your song, but I don't think they'll do that to you. Second, the can request a new song. Highly probable. Third: they might ask you a smaller something else, like listen to this song or judge on this singer, or go to this interview. Last: nothing to do. This happens approximately once per two weeks. Sundays are usually free, so that doesn't count" Luka digested that.

"How do you make a music video?" she asked. Miku sighed.

"That's the thing I need to finish for Love is War this afternoon. If you have nothing to do, then come with me, I'll show you" the taller girl nodded.

"So, how are you taking the crowd?" asked Miku with a sly smile. Now it was Luka's turn to sigh.

"I understand why you hide yourself. Stupid Gakupo told everybody that I'm now a Crypton singer"

"Is it true you two are going out?" Luka groaned loudly.

"Apparently not" Miku smiled again.

"Please, don't ever listen to that idiot..."

"Very well!"

* * *

><p>Luka followed Miku to the department were they made music videos. Apparently they needed a lot of material, and a lot of costumes.<p>

"Here are the scene sketches" said Miku. She entered a room and they were greeted by a bunch of guys wearing comfortable clothes, nothing neat or official.

"Hello, Miku. Please have a look, and then you can study the backgrounds" greeted a chubby man who wore a short beard. He wore a messy tie and a stained shirt. He must have stayed here days on end. Miku nodded, and was shown a big wall filled with rough drawings. Some persona with long ponytails was yelling in a megaphone in some of the drawings.

"What are these?" Miku responded still concentrated on the drawings.

"They show what the video will look like, roughly"

"You have to sing while doing all that?"

"No, not really. It will be edited, so that it looks like I am actually singing. Can I see those backgrounds?" the man nodded. Miku looked at the computer screen and seemed to think for a moment.

"So, I'll also be edited to look fitting to the decor, right?"

"If you desire" Miku nodded.

"Well, let's go!" she headed out of the room. Luka followed like a trained dog.

She received no messages or e-mails from her manager, so her first day was a free day. She was able to see how those music videos were made.

The room was covered in some green cloth. Cameras hung all over the place, and people were screaming directions to each other, yet the room felt oddly quiet.

"It's a green screen. By filming me in front of it, they can create any background they desire. I will be standing on some huge building with megaphones on top, and at the end, they will show airplanes. It'll be pretty cool" Luka nodded. "I will stand there, behind the railing, so that I can perform as it I were really there. I will dance and sing, and probably look like an idiot, but the video will be pretty awesome"

"I see" Luka loved hove Miku changed in a matter of minutes. At school, she was a shy person who could barely peep a word, outside she was outgoing and playful, and in the office she was serious and knew exactly what to do. But she always carried a positive and happy aura around her.

"The walls that aren't covered with the green screen are covered with special glass so that I can't see you guys. Like that it's less embarrassing" the same man with the beard came running up.

"So, you ready to roll?" Miku nodded. Luka was lead outside, and she prepared for the show.

It took forever. That single song took the whole day. Each scene had to be repeated at least five times.

Miku did indeed look like an idiot; but Luka was able to calm her laughter after a few moments.

And the errors those people made were hilarious, sometimes. One man, in the very first scene, forgot to remove the protection from the camera lens. It took ten minutes to remove it, considering that the camera was way up the ceiling. Also, Miku tripped, and there was a coffee stain on the green screen.

All in all, it was a pretty hilarious show.

"Now, history report!" said Miku as she stepped in the limo. Luka was surprised she spoke with a smile, seeing that the report needed to be pages long and it was due tomorrow. Luka had already finished hers a long time ago.

"Won't it be stressful? It is due tomorrow!" Miku sighed at that.

"Well, I suppose. But I'll do my best!" Luka sighed in her turn.

"I'll help" Miku smiled.

"Really?" the taller girl nodded.

"My parents aren't expecting me home any time soon, so why not? Besides, I bet my front door is raided by the press" the smaller girl laughed.

"Ask your manager to hire a bodyguard. They are always nice, and if not, really silent" she said with a small smile. Luka decided to consider it.

When they stepped out of the limo, Miku pulled up the hood of her jacket. Luka was going to buy one that week-end, if she could. She needed an inconspicuous jacket with a big hood.

They entered the small apartment, and they were greeted with its mossy smell.

"I really need to clean house…" Miku said with an annoyed voice. Luka nodded.

"Indeed!" they headed to her room, were her computer was.

"So, how far are you?" asked the newer star. Miku turned her computer on and opened her document.

One sentence. One single sentence filled the screen. 'The city of Rome started as villages on seven different hills'. That was it.

"That's it?" Miku rubbed the back of her neck.

"I guess" Luka sighed.

"We have a lot of work to do…"

"I'll never finish it!" yelled Miku, tears coming to her eyes. "Only eleven pages! I'll never make it!" Luka handed her the tenth cup of coffee, visibly tired.

It was almost one in the morning, and Luka had called her parents to tell them that she wasn't coming home. Miku was getting more and more dramatic by the minute.

"You will! Only nine more pages to go!" reassured Luka, who was also feeling doubtful. They only had half of the necessary words and not enough pictures yet.

"I need to finish this! I need a good grade!" Luka had no idea why Miku was getting so high-strung. Miku had failed many other things, so why was she so sad about this one?

"What's important about this report?" she asked, trying to calm the girl down. Miku turned to her, tears from stress starting to pour out of her eyes.

"I don't have a good grade in history yet! Not one! I need an A, or else I'll get kicked out of the grade, and I'll double the year! I absolutely need this!"

"But Miku, we're in February! The middle of the year! You can still make another good grade!" Miku shook her head.

"The teacher talked to me. He said that I needed this! He said that I might have to quit singing if it goes on like this!"

This gave a severe blow to Luka. Miku, stop singing? The whole concept wasn't understandable. If she stopped singing and re-did the year, she wouldn't see Miku again, not at school, or at the office. Her gut started feeling strange.

Miku started sobbing uncontrollably, just like the night Luka found her by the pond. Luka thought this was terrible for the girl, and all of those bad grades were also partly her own fault.

Luka took Miku in her arms and started rubbing her back to comfort her. If Miku continued sobbing like this, she will never finish the stupid report.

Luka felt sick at the idea of Miku not singing anymore. The girl loved singing more than anything. And re-doing the year was barely better.

Luka suddenly realized that she had grown attached to the star. The girl had helped her a lot in many ways in only a few days. Her whole opinion over the girl had changed. Luka didn't want to part with the girl.

"Come, you will finish it. You will get a good grade. We'll work to the morning if we have too. You can do it" she reassured her, whispering it in her ear. Miku was clinging to her shirt, still sobbing. "Don't let what some adult said take you down. You don't even know the outcome yet, so there's nothing to cry about… You had your bad moments, right? Is this just as bad? You can fight through this, Miku. And if you do fail, then we will fight for you" she continued whispering, and Miku calmed down.

"There, all better?" Miku nodded, and grabbed a tissue from a desk drawer.

"Sorry for ruining your shirt. Again" Luka laughed.

"That, that is the least of my worries" Miku started laughing a little as well.

It was six in the morning, and Miku was fast asleep in her bed. Luka was still awake.

They had worked all through the night. Miku had crumbled again a few times, and Luka was able to reassure her again and again.

Now the report from hell was printing, with eighteen thousand words, thirty pages, and four pictures per page. It was a success.

But Luka had a sour feeling in her mouth, and a bad feeling in her gut. She felt she had to do something, right at that moment.

Sure, she had to change and shower, and sure she looked like a tired mess, but that wasn't it. She didn't have any homework, or any duties to fulfill.

Feeling drowsy, Luka opened her eyes when the printer finally finished doing its job. There lay the report on the floor.

Luka picked it up. It weighed a little, and represented a lot of work. It was worth gold. So much effort had been put into this.

Clumsily stepping towards Miku's bag, she stopped when her own bag grabbed her attention. Not really knowing why, she stuffed the report in her own bag, and walked over the computer. The screen lit when she touched the mouse, and Miku groaned in her sleep. Luka looked at the screen, the feeling of having to do something more pronounced in her gut.

Feeling the drowsiness catching up, she clicked the 'print' button and went to sleep.

Miku jolted awake when her alarm went off. She didn't really feel tired, but she knew she would in a few hours.

Luka was nowhere to be seen. Her bag was gone, and the report lay printed on the floor. A note sat on top of it.

_'I went home to change. Please don't forget this' _Miku sighed. She had bothered Luka the previous evening that was for sure. She just kept crying in her shirt while she was just trying to help.

It felt nice that Luka was helping her. But Miku knew it was just to repay for what she did before, no real feeling or other reason.

Miku decided to have breakfast. She was still changed, so she didn't have to do that anymore. Miku didn't care if she smelled right now, she was really hungry.

The girl put the report in her bag and shuffled to the kitchen, were she made herself a sturdy breakfast and a good lunch, with many leeks.

When her alarm went again, signaling the time for her departure, Miku rushed out of the door, report in her bag.

Miku saw Luka on the train. The taller girl look exhausted, but happy. She was alone, and none of her friends seemed to be there. Miku walked over to her, pushing past the people in the slightly crowded wagon.

"Hey, Luka"

"Hi" Luka let out a yawn. Miku giggled sleepily.

"We're a mess" said the taller girl.

"You can say that…"

"So, you have your report?" Miku nodded, and Luka smiled in return.

"You worked hard for it. If you don't have at least a B, then the teacher isn't coming home this evening" they laughed.

"Well, see you in class" said Miku before walking away.

Luka groaned when the girl left. Now she was going to have to face the mobs alone. Luka really wanted somebody at her side.

Her friends weren't able to handle it either, and were often devoured by the crowd. They really did try their best, but it wasn't enough.

When Gakupo called her name, her head spun in his direction. How dare he show his face, that liar!

"Hey, Luka!"

"And where were you yesterday?" she asked. He swallowed and started fidgeting. Guilty.

"With my friends-"

"Lie. Your friends were chasing me" Gakupo gulped.

"And am I supposed to be going out with you?" she said, with a burning fire of rage in her eyes. The boy then looked a little surprised.

"They said that? Why?" Luka became puzzled.

"You didn't say that?"

"Well, as much as I wish it was true, no, I didn't day that" Luka sighed.

"That audience sure has an imagination" she said. He nodded, and then realized something.

"Hey, you look a little tired" captain obvious was rewarded with a smack upside the head.

Luka was relieved. No huge mobs were chasing her yet, but everybody was looking at her, and often a group of people walked up to her to ask a few questions. Her friends stuck by her side the whole time, even the purple idiot.

Luka knew that the mobs would start soon, but for the moment, everything was relatively calm.

Now it was just before lunchtime, and the bell is about to ring.

"Well, class. I will see you tomorrow, but I must share with you one important information. Two weeks from now, you will be in a camp. There will be enough rooms for everybody, and many activities. I hope you will all enjoy it, seeing that it is completely free. You will receive all important information in the mail" Luka smiled. She liked camps. When the bell rung, she ran out, impatient to eat her tuna sandwich. Her friends followed.

Luka felt happy. She had been able to stay with her friends, and nobody was really bothering her. Crypton had called her over this afternoon, but they didn't say what for.

Also, Miku was going to give her report to the history teacher after lunch. Luka was so happy that she was able to finish it; they had worked a long time on that stupid homework.

Her happiness fell down the drain when she saw the girl in question standing against the fence, re-reading her report. Luka had a really bad feeling.

The wind blew over the grass as she stood still, trying to find another way to their usual spot besides this one. She knew she couldn't have her friends see the smaller girl.

"Hey, let's go the inside way, the wind is chilly" Luka tried. Her friends looked at her.

"Well, the sun is really warm. I see no reason why to make the detour" said Meiko. Kaito suddenly looked as if Christmas came early.

"Hey! There's Loser!" Luka's chest constricted as they all looked at the girl who was innocently looking her work over. They headed towards her, and Luka followed very reluctantly. When Miku looked up from her work, fear covered her eyes.

"Hey, Hatsune. Long time no see, eh?" said the blue-haired boy with a mean smile. Miku had nowhere to go. Choosing this spot by the fence was a bad idea.

"Wow, a completed report! Must be rare for you, right?" said Gakupo, snatching the report from the girl's hands. The two girls hoped he would give it back. The fool had no idea how much it was worth.

"Well, thirty pages! Impressive, Loser!" the others laughed, while Luka and Miku were staring at what the purple haired boy was going to do with that report.

"It would be a pity it would get lost, or ripped, right? Or lost with the wind…" Luka gasped in absolute horror as the tall boy let the pages fly away with the wind, over the school gates.

As Luka stared at the pages, Miku started crying and the other started laughing.

Luka saw the tears from the previous evening zap through her head. The cries, the tissues, the effort, the wails. The immense attention put into those miserable papers. The teacher's warnings rang through her head: Miku will double the grade and stop singing. Miku would be cut off from the tall girl. Luka wouldn't see her again.

The whole thing played back in her mind. The whole week, the whole month. Everything that had happened. The whole situation rang through her blood. She re-felt every emotion, and re-experienced every touch. Every single thing they had done for the other. They had helped each other through the whole thing. She felt how her relationship with the girl changed again. They were friends. This wasn't to finish like this.

She wouldn't have it.

"I won't have it!"

Every single person visible heard it. People turned their heads, curious, and Luka's friends looked surprised. Luka was glaring at them, eyes watery but they burned with a flame of rage. To the opposite of Miku's coldest eyes, Luka's were hot with hatred.

They all moved to the side as the tall girl pushed her way past, and turned against them. Miku stood behind her, suddenly feeling protected from behind the girl's back. The whole crowd was staring with wide eyes.

"Do you know how much effort was put into such a simple report? How long she has worked, how much she had cried, had believed she wouldn't make it? And you are able to destroy so much devotion in one simple motion! Are you all heartless, or just plain blind? Do you see the bags under her eyes? She had worked a long time! And you make her efforts fruitless? I will not have it!" Luka was yelling at the top of her lungs at the end, and even the teachers who had come to see what was happening cringed.

Luka had no idea how to express her rage. Where to start, where to end, she had no idea. The girl had just yelled whatever came to mind. When she didn't speak, her eyes told the rest of her feelings.

Miku was shocked. Why did Luka do this? She was going to lose all of her friends! Well, she did help with that report, but it was just some paper! They could have explained to the teacher. And so what if she doubled the year, it wasn't as if she died.

But Miku remembered how much she wanted to stay with the tall girl. That was her biggest fear: being separated from Luka.

But why did Luka stand up for her?

When the taller girl turned to face Miku, the smaller girl flinched. Luka's eyes were now softer.

"Here." Luka pulled out another copy of the report out of her bag.

Miku couldn't believe it. The confusion disappeared and relief took over. Her work wasn't for nothing?

Miku delicately took the report, handling it as if it would disappear if she held it too roughly. It was the exact copy of her own. It was the same. Miku looked up to the other girl who smiled.

"I re-printed it. I thought this might happen, and seeing all of your effort go away with the wind, that wasn't what I had hoped would happen with it"

The whole place was silent. All of the onlookers wore confused faces, not knowing what was happening. Was the all-time popular Megurine Luka helping Hatsune Loser? Did the world go mad?

Miku was overjoyed. All of her work…she couldn't describe her happiness. It felt warm. Miku had never felt anything like it before, even when she was singing.

Luka's face was almost indifferent, but showed warmth towards the girl. As if she didn't care what happened, as long that Miku had her report and was able to hand it in.

But what she was really feeling was a freedom. No longer did they have to hide their friendship; no more did Luka have to pester with her mean words. They had no more roles to play, no more spectacle to deliver. They could now be friends to their own accord, real friends.

And what the others thought of it, their opinion may go to hell.

The silence was deafening. Nobody knew what to do, say, or how to react. The teachers had left to their offices, not knowing much more. Luka's friends were paralyzed, not moving, resembling statues. Luka herself was standing proudly in front of the teary-eyed Miku.

"What in the name of Indian noodles just happened?" quietly asked Meiko. It was just a whisper, but the whole crowd heard it. Luka turned around swiftly, heels cracking on the gravel. The crunching sound was almost deafening in this weighing silence.

"What just happened is that I revealed a secret. For two weeks already I learned who Hatsune was. And to be perfectly honest, I was acting like a perfect ass. We were all acting like the biggest jerks in the history of humanity" the words sunk in.

"T-two weeks?" Gakupo barely managed to push that past his throat.

"Yes. At first I was doubtful, but after all we went through, I am proud to say that Hatsune is my friend"

"Loser is your friend?" Kaito nearly choked on his words.

"The first one to call her 'loser' will not see the following morning" was her only reply.

Miku was speechless. She was Luka's friend? Did she really say that? More tears came to her eyes, and a smile crept on her face. Her first friend was the person she hated and admired. Her first friend was the girl who made her life miserable. Her first friend was the person who had found her out. Her first friend was the first person who had ever stood up for her.

"Luka…" the tall girl turned back towards her.

"You're welcome" was said with a large smile. Miku's smile widened.

"Thank you…" and she threw herself in the taller girl's arms.

Luka was walking to her class. Miku was talking with the teacher, like she usually did after class.

The tall girl was being stared at everywhere she went, but she didn't care. Meiko, Kaito and Gakupo had suddenly retreated, and hadn't shown themselves yet.

People were considering her odd. Her popularity was at the maximum, she was living the dream. And now she declared her friendship for the school loser. It was a scandal, almost.

The whole way people at school saw her had changed in less than a minute. When she came that morning, she was the school diva, but now she was the school mystery.

But Luka didn't care about that either. She finally felt free from those stupid secrets. Now she could be with Miku as much as she wanted, without anybody stopping her. Or almost.

Meiko came walking up to her, with the two boys in tow. Luka raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, Luka. Now start explaining" she was straightforward, and wasn't joking. Luka sighed. She was going to cut it short, to the minimum.

"The day we pushed her in the pond, we followed her. I gave up eventually, but on my way to the train I found her. She confessed everything, all of her problems. I understood, and now I'm helping. At first, I felt I had to repay for all the things we did to her, but now, I feel a real friendship"

"Do you know her name?"

"Yes"

"Do you know where she lives?"

"I do" Meiko huffed.

"And why didn't you tell us?"

"If she was keeping it a secret, then it's for a reason"

"You know that reason?"

"Yes, I do" Luka was growing tired. This whole conversation was going nowhere. Meiko won't give up, but Luka won't give in.

"Why?" Luka was confused at that question. Why what?

"Why did you hide it all from us?" Luka shook her head.

"Because I knew that you would react like this" and with that Luka passed them, not caring what they thought of her.

For some reason, her old friend's opinion of her was completely unimportant. For some reason, being with Miku seemed to be her first priority. It was strange, but Luka didn't really care.

"Luka" the tall girl stopped and turned around. Miku stood behind her, looking a bit shy. Luka's old friends were staring meanly at the girl from behind. Luka shot them a glare, and turned back to Miku.

"What is it?"

"Why did you tell everyone?" She smiled.

"Why not tell them? Can't I choose my friends?" Miku smiled at that.

"That works for me"

That afternoon, Luka was sitting in her limo, thinking hard.

Nothing that happened that day actually worried or preoccupied her. She had no problem with her confession.

Luka replayed everything in her head. Everybody looked so shocked. Especially when Miku hugged the taller girl. Everybody expected Luka to push the girl back in disgust, but she just hugged her back. What was so surprising?

Well, they were enemies for the whole year, and Miku was never appreciated. Luka was constantly popular, while Miku lied on the bottom of the popularity scale.

Was that it? Their complete differences? Their hatred turning into friendship in a blink of an eye? Their popularity level turning to equal?

Now they were both strange. People stared at them, but never talked to them. They whispered about the two girls, but they never spoke their opinion.

Luka thought they could go to hell for all she cared. She could choose her friends.

When Miku greeted her at the department, she looked slightly shaken. Her eyes were downcast, and she was gripping the edge of her skirt.

"Are you ok, Miku?" asked the taller girl as she stepped out of the vehicle. Miku smiled and relaxed instantly.

"Of course! I'm fine!" Luka smiled.

"Don't let those stares get to you. They have no idea what they are talking about"

"You know, I'm supposed to say that to you. I _am _the elder star!" Luka laughed at that, and followed Miku. Their managers were waiting for them.

"Hello, Luka"

"Hello, Manager, hello Dorian" the smaller man sighed. He knew that Luka could never remember his name. He didn't bother repeating it.

"Miku, would you give her the news?" asked the foreign adult. Miku nodded happily.

"Of course!" she turned to Luka. "You are having your first interview today!" Luka stiffened.

"Interview?"

"Yep! A very nice lady is going to ask you questions, and you can answer them however you want!"

"Will I go on TV?" asked the taller girl. Her manager laughed.

"We understood your fear for cameras, so your first interview will only be audio recorded, and posted in the Crypton magazine. No cameras will be there" Luka let out a breath.

"And how long will it take?" Miku answered for her.

"About twenty minutes! Don't worry, it isn't that bad!" Luka smiled weakly. "And, if you do a good job, then Dorian will announce to us even better news! Apparently many requests came in the mail, and Crypton accepted!"

"So what is it?"

"I have no idea!" Luka slouched. She wanted to know something good right now.

"So, when is the interview?"

"In one hour!" Luka gasped. She had to get ready!

"Follow me, please" Luka nodded and walked behind her manager. She was led to her new office, which Luka wanted to re-decorate. Maybe she was going to take Miku's idea and also turn it into a bedroom. She knew she was going to start staying late in a few weeks, when her job would really start.

"I'll let you change. Then I'll lead you to the room, and I'll explain everything" Luka nodded, and retreated to her room.

When Luka came out of the office, she was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. Despite the simplicity, she looked quite fancy.

"Very good, perfect for a casual interview" commented her manager. She huffed. He started walking down the halls, and she quickly followed.

"You will enter a room. The interviewer will be there, with her paper and recorder. You will answer every question however you want, but every question must be answered. If she wants to shake your hand, shake it. At the end of the interview, say good-bye politely and leave through the door you came in from. Always look at the interviewer" he made it sound so lame and complicated.

"Ok"

"Well, here you are, and just on time!" he pointed to a door.

Luka took a deep breath and entered. What kind of questions are going to be asked? How will the interviewer be like? Are any people watching thanks to those special walls?

When she door opened, she was surprised to see a living room. There was a couch and an armchair, and a table with water between the two. The whole room was white, yet the lighting made it more comfortable. There was a big window with a view outside. It was a very spacious, comfortable, yet somewhat stiff room. Luka wondered what it was used for when there weren't any interviews in here.

A woman with sky blue attire greeted her. She wore excessive make-up, and it was visible from afar.

"Hello, Megurine Luka. I'll be interviewing you today. How are you feeling?" she was polite, but gave no name. Luka held back a huff.

"I feel fine"

"Good. Then let's begin" Luka nodded, and the lady-with-no-name took a seat in the armchair. Luka took a comfortable position on the couch. What fabric was this, wondered Luka. She loved it.

"Are you ready?" Luka nodded. She already felt more comfortable. Miss Lady pushed a button on some small box -surely the recorder- and put it on the table.

"Well, Megurine Luka. This is your first interview! How are you feeling?" Luka almost sighed. This was going in a magazine, so it had so sound oh-so-cliché-ish.

"A little nervous, but I think that I'll quickly get used to it" the lady nodded.

"You sudden success on your very first song is very surprising! You beat the famous Miku right off the charts! What do you think of such a victory?" Luka decided to be completely frank. If this lady was searching for some nice rivalry, then she was barking up the wrong tree.

"I thought nothing of the victory over Miku. I was only very happy that I was well received by the public. I am not in any war-like relationship with Miku" the woman looked surprised.

"So the rumors of your rivalry with the blue-haired star are false. Then what is your relationship?"

"We are good friends. I greatly appreciate being with her, and she is a very good person. I see no reason why I should be in war with her" Luka thought this woman was being kind of stereotypical. The mean interviewer trying to search for some tasty information. She really was looking disappointed.

"Do you then think that your friendship is what got you your winning position at the contest? You were seen together before that day" Luka shook her head.

This person was being rude. Just because they were friends doesn't mean that she won the contest for that reason! Was the woman trying to tell Luka that she had no real talent?

Luka smirked, she had the perfect answer.

"We only knew each other, and barely. She wanted to give me a tour through the building. Miku is honest, and wouldn't choose a person who is a friend over a person who can sing. I think the success of my song proved that she made a correct choice"

Bull's-eye. Luka saw her deflate a little.

"How did you two meet?" Luka thought for a moment. She had to give a straight answer, but she didn't want to give the girl's secret identity away. It would be mean and it would feel like treason. With a smile she remembered Miku's excuse she used a few days ago.

"We bumped into each other, and Miku wasn't exactly the happiest person in the world at the time. She got mad, but we made up" the lady took a look at her paper.

"So, how are you taking your success at your school? People must be following you everywhere!" Luka realized that the woman had abandoned the search for rivalry. Luka-1 interviewer-with-no-name-0.

"Thanks to a good friend of mine, people are leaving me pretty much alone. Before, I was constantly followed, it was very annoying, to be frank"

The interview continued for some time. Some questions annoyed Luka, but it went pretty well. At the end, they shook hands and Luka left through the same door.

Luka didn't like the woman in the end. She acted like a sly journalist, trying to get some mean gossip over some stupid story, just to increase her own popularity. Wiping her forehead, Luka was glad to be free now.

Miku walked up to her, wearing a smile.

"Great job, Luka!" the taller girl flinched.

"You heard?"

"Yup! The audio must always be saved, and I heard everything!" Luka smiled, so she didn't do anything wrong.

"And the news?" Miku jumped.

"I forgot about that! Let's go see Dorian! He'll finally tell us!" Miku ran off, and Luka followed. Miku seemed really eager to know what the 'good news' was. She was as impatient as ever.

Dorian was walking towards them when Miku nearly bumped into him. He smiled was he saw Miku's eager expression.

"Well, you really want to know, right?" she nodded. Luka smiled. Miku was acting like a child when she was sixteen.

"Well, as you know, we have request pages at the end of our magazines. Our experts put in the options the choices that are most probable to be requested. They put things like 'more romantic songs from name your favorite star here', or things like that. But this time, almost none of their options were chosen"

"What did they put?" asked Luka, curious. Miku was getting impatient.

"One; 'more songs from Miku like 'Love is War''. This one got one hundred votes. Then there was 'more songs from Luka. That one received three hundred votes. There were a few others who were almost completely ignored, but the final ones were 'All' or 'Other'. 'All' also got three hundred, but 'Other' got one thousand votes and they were almost all the same"

"What is iiiiiitttt" demanded Miku getting extremely impatient. Luka sighed, though couldn't help but feel impatient herself. What had the readers/listeners thought of now?

"A duet with Miku and Luka. Most public wants both of you to sing something interesting" as he let the new sink in, the two smiled.

"We get to do a duet?" asked Miku. Dorian nodded.

"I never did a duet!" exclaimed Luka. Miku smiled at her.

"Me neither! We'll discover it together!" Luka smiled again. This was going to be fun.

This was going to be hell.

"What should we sing?" asked Miku to the void, panicking. Luka was sitting on the ground, biting the end of her pencil in pure frustration. It had been five hours, and they still hadn't thought of anything at all.

"I don't know! Dorian said something 'interesting'. But what does that mean?" Luka was doing her very best to keep her calm. Thinking on one single subject for hours on end, after about three breaks was very frustrating.

Interesting, what is an interesting song? A song with war, love, hatred? What was interesting?

"I have no ideaaaaaa!" Miku was screaming. She had lost it.

"Calm down, Miku! We won't advance like this!" the smaller girl only started banging her head against the table.

"I would go to the world's end to find a good song!" yelled the cyan-haired girl. Luka froze. World's end?

"And what would you do at the world's end?" she asked slowly. Miku looked at her, trembling a bit from the.

"I don't know…dance?" she peeped it out. Luka smiled.

"I have the name of our song"

"Really?" asked Miku with big eyes.

"World's End Dancehall" the room grew silent.

"I like it" said Miku, calming down. "It sounds…"

"Interesting" they smiled.

"Dorian" the tall man turned around, and his smaller coworker turned as well.

"Do you have a song?" they asked.

"We have the lyrics. But we can't find a catchy melody yet" said the taller girl, giving them the paper. Dorian leaned forward so that Luka's manager could also see.

"It's…"

"Interesting" finished the tall man. They smiled.

"You can work on the melody tomorrow. This week-end we will do the recording of the song, and then the next week you can go to camp with your minds free" Luka gasped. That's right, the camp! She had completely forgotten. And judging from Miku's face, so did she.

"Don't worry. You have tomorrow and Friday to work on the melody. Then, we will record it, and by the end of the next week, it will be released. Depending of course on its length, desired quality…" Luka's manager trailed off in thought.

The two girls smiled.

* * *

><p>The week was finally done.<p>

The duo was able to finish the lyrics during class, everybody thinking it was regular work. Miku got a B+ for her report and Luka a B as well.

The music video for 'Love is War' was also finished, and Miku was very satisfied with the result. All the colors were intense and defined; nothing blended or faded into each other. All shadows were pitch-black, and details were erased.

The whole school was still adapting to their friendship, but they were still cold to the new pair. Meiko and the two other boys still hadn't spoken to Luka, but she didn't really care anymore. But Miku did. She even asked why she didn't worry about her old friends. Luka's reply was direct.

"If they were really my friends. They would have followed me"

All in all, it had been a good week. The two girls started doing their homework together in Miku's study at Crypton, and Luka had just started decorating hers.

Luka's parents were very proud of their daughter, and they loved it when Miku came home with her for a cup of tea.

Now they were ready for the recording of their duet. They had practiced on Luka's karaoke, but it was rough, having no music.

When they saw the limo at school, they made a run for it, pushing past the jealous onlookers. Miku took her pill as soon as the door closed.

"I really hate those things. They leave the most terrible taste in the mouth" she said, taking a cup of water. Luka was a little happy she didn't have to take those things.

As she helped Miku with her hair, Dorian was looking over the notes the two girls had written.

"This is a very good song. It will blow up, for sure. Maybe we still have time to put it in the album"

"Well, it does come out in two weeks..." muttered Miku, grabbing the edge of her skirt. "Do you really think that you can do that?" the man smiled.

"Of course! Anything for the two most popular stars worldwide!" his white teeth gleamed. Luka didn't see Miku stiffen.

"So, do you two plan on recording the whole song today?" he asked. Luka smiled and replied.

"We want it to be perfect; it's our first duet, after all. If it takes all night, we won't care" Miku nodded.

"Very well, an all-nighter it is!" he said happily.

* * *

><p>At the department it was very busy. People were yelling around and pushing everywhere, and the whole place smelled like sweat.<p>

"People need to learn to shower…" muttered Luka. Miku nodded in agreement, pinching her nose.

"Let's go the recording room!" the duo followed the man to the quiet room. The crew was all there and ready. Dorian handed them the paper, and they looked it over, while the two girls headed for the other room.

"Good, good…we have all the necessary instruments; we can start recording right now!" said the man with a smile, and he started giving the others orders. Miku and Luka each took a headset and microphone.

"You ready?" Luka's voice echoed in the empty room. Miku nodded and smiled. Luka found that Miku was being a little silent.

When the music started, the two grinned. It was exactly how they imagined it. Counting silently, they waited for their cue.

They sang the best they could, but sometimes they went out of sync and other times they stopped because of a music problem.

It wasn't an easy song. Many instruments were required, and some parts were really fast to sing. But their favorite part was the refrain. They always sung it perfectly, but it got on their nerves when the music wasn't right.

After two hours, they managed to sing to the first couplet after the refrain with perfection, but their words tripped at the fast part again.

Three hours later, it was almost perfect. They made more changes for the music, and during the recording with the new sound, sometimes they made errors.

But it was a great fun. They laughed at every mistake, and playfully scolded the crew when they made an error.

After a total of six hour work, it was finally done. It was perfectly how they wanted it. The crew wiped their brows in relief, and the two girls gladly took a glass of water.

The song wasn't that long, but it is fun to listen to. They received the disc with only the soundtrack on it for souvenirs. Dorian said he really liked it, and Luka's manager was very proud of Luka's second song.

The two went home, completely exhausted, but very content.

* * *

><p>It was Sunday, a full week after they recorded World's End Dancehall. Luka and Miku were going on camp the next day with their class, and they needed to discuss it. Especially on Miku's subject.<p>

"So, how will we do it?" asked the taller girl. Honestly, an incognito star going with his class for a week, trying to stay hidden was not an easy task.

"Well, for the hair, I had already worn the paint days on end; my hair only grows dry after a while. They don't get greasy thanks to the paint, so I don't have to wash it…"

"What about your voice?"

"That's the problem. My record without antidote is two days. But those changing ones taste really bad"

"Don't you want to bring the two containers? Won't that be easier?" Miku shook her head.

"What if somebody finds them? And what if somebody comes in our room at night and I say something? We can't risk it"

The two had already discussed about the rooms with their class. They were a total of thirty, and there were four rooms of seven and one room for two. They immediately took the two person room; it was less risky for Miku.

Talking about risks, people were following Luka everywhere, school students and reporters. She had bought a jacket, but sometimes she forgot it or some pink hair fell in their view. It was a pain to walk home, even when she took the limo or when she brought Miku in disguise. Those reporters didn't care about anybody but the new celebrity.

Her parents had chased the media from their house using a broomstick and eventually a chainsaw. Luka was never really alone, besides at the office and in Miku's apartment. If ever the media found Miku's residence, then the two were in big trouble.

But now they needed to solve this problem.

"So, how will we do it?" asked the tall girl again. Miku thought for a moment before replying slowly.

"I think I should bring only one antidote pill, just in case. I will let you keep it" Luka's eyes widened.

"Me?"

"Relax, it's not some priceless treasure, just some pill" Luka still was shocked.

"But what if I lose it?" Miku frowned.

"Then nothing will happen. Nothing happens when you swallow that unless you ate the other one. And if you lose it, then big deal, I'll wait till I'm home" Luka sighed.

"Ok…"

"I'll give it to you now, you have to go home and pack" Luka nodded and watched as Miku disappeared in the bathroom and came back out with the small object.

"Here" Luka observed it. It was perfectly round, and had a blue tint. It smelled slightly like leeks. "Although it's not that important, try not to lose it"

Luka got up and headed for the door. It was already six in the afternoon, and she still had to pack.

"Oh, and Luka?" the girl turned around to see Miku looking up at her with a serious face. "Promise me, that you don't give it to me until the end of the week. Only if it is really, really, really important"

Luka nodded.

"Promise?"

"Promise"

* * *

><p>Luka and Miku were waiting with the class for the bus. Traffic was pretty crowded today, and the bus was being held up. The teacher was trying to keep the scurrying teenagers together. Luka noticed that Miku hadn't said a word the whole morning yet, which was kind of strange for her.<p>

Luka then remembered their discussion from the last day.

"Miku, did you take the pill yet?" she quietly asked, making sure nobody was close enough to hear. Miku shook her head no.

Luka remembered the promise from the previous evening. On the surface, the promise seemed quite innocent, but it was actually a bit odd. She seemed a bit nervous about it.

"Students, the bus is here! Give your luggage to the driver, and take your seats!" Luka groaned when the teacher's normally deep voice turned into a high pitch scream. It was very uncomfortable, and it rang in the head like a gong.

Luka complied, and helped Miku, who still hadn't said a word. Miku's luggage was lightweight; Luka knew it contained the strict minimum.

When the poor man loaded their luggage, the duo took their seats. Luka leaned over when Miku pulled her sleeve.

"I'll take the pill when we get to camp. For now, I'll just stay silent" Luka nodded, feeling that Miku's voice seemed odd coming from a person with different hair.

Nobody ever thought that Hatsune was Miku because just by changing those two details, you get a whole other person. Hatsune had long brown hair that was never attached, and it hid the shape of her face and her eyes. She couldn't be recognized.

The trip was uneventful, very boring and silent. The other kids grew tired of camp songs quickly, and games were held silently. It was very odd to see such a loud class with such a low volume.

Miku felt slightly nervous. If anybody were to ask her something, she would be in a bad position.

Also, she felt anxious about taking the pill. The last time she swallowed it for so long, when she finally took the antidote, her throat was aching. Miku felt that the pill wasn't supposed to be used for long time stretches.

But the girl knew she couldn't risk taking the container or taking the antidote at night. Anything could happen.

The unpacking was uneventful. When Luka and Miku headed for their room, the others were still yelling about their luggage.

The house, or rather chalet, was small and entirely made out of wood. It had a very mountainous feeling around it.

The halls were narrow and the floor creaked, but there were many rooms and most were very big. They spotted the four seven bed rooms, the cafeteria, and a huge empty room. The duo saw the garden from the windows. It was large and grassy, and many playground toys littered the lawn. It looked quite childish, but it had that aura around it that you knew you can have fun.

Luka and Miku found their room at the end of the hall, a small bit away from the other rooms, which was perfect. They could speak about official stuff undisturbed.

It wasn't big, but it was still comfortable. The beds were on opposite walls, and two closets stood next to them. There was a huge window who gave a perfect view of the landscape right across from the door. The two girls smiled.

"Besides the enormous window, I like it" said the small girl, sitting on the bed. Luka looked outside. There were hills everywhere, it was a picturesque sight.

"Well, it does give a good view" Miku nodded.

Luka opened her suitcase. It was filled with unnecessary clothing and accessories. Miku sighed.

"Do you really need all that?" Luka smiled.

"You never know!"

"Well, I know…" she opened hers, and it was just enough for one separate outfit per day. Nothing else was in there.

"Just what I need, nothing more" Luka compared their luggage. It was evident the Luka had at least three times more things than the other girl.

"But who am I to stop you?" smiled Miku. Luka then realized with a shock.

"Miku, your voice!"

"Relax, I didn't forget. Once we have to talk, then I'll swallow the wretched thing" the taller girl sighed. She really didn't want to eat the small object.

The counselor soon called them. The whole class was put in the huge empty room, and the responsible adult, along with the teacher, told them the basic rules. Lights out at eight forty, wake-up at seven. Activities the whole day after breakfast, before and after lunch, and till dinner. After dinner they were free.

That day they were going to walk around to see all the places they were going to go, Tuesday they would go rock-climbing, Wednesday they would track animals, Thursday was a rally, and Friday was go-home day.

"Pretty lame…" whispered Miku. She still hadn't eaten the pill. Luka groaned.

"Well, at least we're not swimming" Miku nodded, understanding.

The class was dismissed to discover the chalet till noon. The entire mass of students immediately started running everywhere, but the two girls headed straight for their room. They had no envy to be stuck in the middle of a bunch of yelling idiots.

Not that they didn't like them in particular, but wherever the two went, they were greeted coldly. The two girls preferred not trying.

Once they were in the room, Luka searched for the pill. Miku needed to swallow it now, or else things could get risky.

There it was, on her nightstand, right next to her lamp.

Luka discreetly grabbed it. She had no idea how to make Miku swallow it. She could stomp on her foot, and when Miku yelled, quickly stuff it in her open mouth. But it was risky, and only worked half of the time. And after, Miku would get careful if the plan failed.

How should Luka do it? Just shoving it in her mouth was hard, and that girl could fight. How, how, how?

Luka got an idea.

Miku was hanging her clothes, back facing Luka. Luka smirked. In order to get her to eat the pill, Miku shouldn't move too much, and her mouth should be open. Luka knew exactly what to do.

She slowly walked up to the girl, pill in hand. Miku was still busy hanging a jacket, and she was fussing with the zipper.

"Miku…" she spoke softly, and she hugged the girl from behind. Miku froze as the taller girl's arms wound themselves around her waist and stomach.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Miku felt her limbs grow numb and her face grow hot.

"Mm…" Luka hummed, and gently kissed the side of Miku's neck. The girl gasped and let go of the jacket.

Luka took the chance and quickly stuffed the pill in her open mouth. Miku, having no idea what just happened, swallowed as Luka stepped back.

"What was that?" she asked loudly, blushing furiously, still feeling a little numb. Luka was holding back her laughter. Miku was looking so cute with that humongous blush. And her reaction was priceless.

"I needed you to take that pill; I knew you weren't going to until tomorrow!" she answered between laughs. Miku was looking so adorable.

"But did you actually have to do that in particular?" Luka nodded.

"I knew I would get a good laugh out of it, and I was right!" she laughed more, while Miku tried to look absolutely furious. But her red face threw her cold glare off.

"What did you like it?" Miku's eyes widened, and blushed even more if that was possible. Luka laughed so hard she didn't see.

To be perfectly honest, Miku thought she actually did. She liked the warmth of Luka's body against hers; she felt it through their clothes. And Luka's lips were so soft…

Miku shook her head, she shouldn't be thinking thing like that. They were both girls, after all.

After hitting Luka hard until she stopped laughing, Miku finished unpacking, while Luka was still giggling every now and then.

"You really didn't have to do that"

"Oh, yes I did" Luka giggled more. "Your red face is just so cute, it's priceless!" Miku blushed again. She didn't like blushing.

"Well, you could have just asked, I would have eaten the thing myself" Luka shook her head, still laughing.

"No, you know you wouldn't have" Miku huffed, and finally hung up that stupid jacket.

* * *

><p>The days flew by. Monday flew to Tuesday quickly, and it was great fun.<p>

Everybody forgot their differences when they started climbing the enormous piece of rock. It was very exciting, seeing that they were dangling over thing air. The whole class laughed together whenever somebody made a stupid move, even when Miku said her own joke.

But Wednesday Miku started looking unwell. Luka asked her how she was.

"It's ok, Luka. My throat is feeling a little sore, but that's all" Luka accepted that answer and continued eating her breakfast.

But in reality, Miku was scared. Her throat was hurting more and more by the breath. She could feel her vocal chords, and they were starting to ache badly.

It scared her. Was she going to last the week? As she swallowed her food, she winced as it worsened. No, she thought. She wouldn't.

* * *

><p>Luka and Miku were just coming back from the forest. They had seen quite a few animals, which they found by following tracks and clues. They felt like detectives following a criminal, it was really fun. Once again, everybody had fun with everybody. Nobody cared who was the misfit or the star. It felt great to be with the whole class for once.<p>

But after the fun ended, Miku returned to hell.

Her throat had worsened overnight, and now it was really hurting. It felt as if she had built an oven within her throat, it really stung.

She couldn't really describe it. Did it sting? Not really, but it felt sharper then hurting, and burning wasn't exactly it.

It was a mix of the three. She felt as if she had swallowed a porcupine that was in flames. She didn't dare drink or eat, and breathing became one of Hercules' twelve tasks.

Miku never thought that using the pill for so long on end was so dangerous. She was almost sure that her vocal chords were being disintegrated.

After dinner, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She tried her best to hide her tears of pain, but they kept coming. It really, really hurt.

When she entered her room with Luka, Miku was at the end of sanity. The pain was tearing away her reason.

"Luka, give me the antidote!" she pleaded already. Luka looked at her. Why was she asking all of q sudden? She grabbed the small object in her pocket. She wasn't going to give it unless Miku gave her reason, and it should be important.

"Well, you made me swear, I can't-"

"I don't care what I said, please give it to me!" Luka looked her in the eyes. She seemed to be in great pain. With great difficulty, she pushed her reply from her throat.

"I promised"

"Please!" Luka staggered back. Miku just yelled at her, but not in a pleading way, she seemed desperate.

"Luka! Give it to me! Give it to me, now!" yelled Miku furiously, her eyes stinging, tears starting to pour out. She was going to cry. Luka saw this, and found it extremely difficult to refuse.

"No, I promised!" Luka remembered how determined the girl looked when she made her swear. She wasn't about to crush that.

"I don't give a damn! I swear I'll lose everything if you don't give it now!" Luka froze. This was the first time she ever heard the girl say a bad word. Ever.

Miku took advantage of the fact that Luka was distracted and tackled the taller girl on the bed. Luka gasped and landed on her back with an 'oof'! That hurt.

"No! Remember what you said?" the tall girl yelled. She wasn't going to let their position throw her off. Even when the smaller girl started pulling on her clothes, trying to reach the pill. She somehow knew Luka had it in her hand. Miku looked at her with now red eyes.

"I don't care what I said! Just give it to me! My throat hurts, Luka! It hurts!" Luka shut her eyes, not able to bear it. She promised...but was this important enough? She started hoping it was.

"I can't! I swore I wouldn't!" Miku then ripped the taller girl's shirt in pure frustration. Luka didn't have time to take notice. She was frantically trying to get the pill out of the girl's reach.

"Luka! Please! I'm begging you! It hurts!" Miku was now drooling, yelling at the top of her lungs. Luka raised her hand out of her reach, while Miku kicked to reach it. Luka squirmed under her, trying desperately not to let the girl reach it. A promise is a promise!

"I swore!"

"Forget it! Please Luka! I can't take it anymore! It burns! I'll lose everything! Just please give it to me!" Luka saw Miku start to cry, wetting her torn shirt. Miku's eyes were dark red, she was drooling, and she looked like a wild dog.

"Please!" she yelled. Luka took a deep breath. She knew she shouldn't give up.

"It hurts! It burns! Please, give it to me!" yelled Miku at the top of her lungs, kicking more, hitting Luka's shin. The girl winced. She was going to consider this important.

"Fine!" Miku grabbed the small object and swallowed it whole.

Miku felt a world of well-being come over her. The pain, the burning, the tearing, it was gone.

Not being able to support herself, she collapsed.

Luka groaned.

"Say, Miku, couldn't you get off?" Miku didn't react.

"Miku?"

"Huh…" the girl didn't want to move, she was in such a world of bliss.

"Please get up…" Luka was losing breath. Gee, this girl was heavy.

"Uhuh…" Miku rolled off the bed and fell on the floor. Luka sat up, a small blush creeping on her face. Her shirt was really torn. She was happy she had brought enough shirts.

"What was that?" the pink-haired girl asked. Miku smiled from the floor.

"I needed to take that pill…"

"Well, I would have given it if you would have asked politely" said the tall girl with a huff, getting up to get another shirt.

"No, you know wouldn't have" Miku said, putting her head down on the wooden floor. Well, this dialogue was looking like a déjà-vu.

"I did promise…"

"But be happy you broke it. I was going to lose my voice!" Luka laughed and started heading for the bathroom. "It's true! I swear it felt as if my vocal chords were slowly melting away!"

"It hurt, right?" Luka asked from the bathroom.

"You can't imagine…"

"I don't think I can"

"So, what do we do now?" Luka thought about that. Miku was now at a camp, with no spare pills. They were in a dangerous situation.

"Maybe my idea of not bringing the containers was a bad one"

"No duh, Sherlock" replied the tall girl, still thinking. She got out of the bathroom and started studying her torn shirt. There was no way that was going to be fixed.

"I could go home as sick" Luka nodded.

"But then you would miss camp"

"No biggie" Luka groaned. She didn't want Miku to leave. They were having so much fun.

"I don't want you to leave!"

"Don't worry, it's not like I'm dead, right?" Luka grumbled. How could Miku be so happy about this? She was the one crying about re-doing the year…

But was she really complaining about that because she wouldn't be with Luka? Or was it because she would spend another year at school? Luka realized that the girl never really said exactly why it traumatized her so much.

Luka felt a strange feeling at the thought that it was merely for spending another year in that building, and not for her. It didn't feel good.

But Miku was smiling, seemed innocent. She spoke about her departure from camp lightly, as if she didn't care. Luka felt another pang of the feeling. What was it?

"I guess not…" she mumbled.

"Ok, I'll go tell the teacher"

* * *

><p>Luka watched Miku go. They had told the teacher she was sick, and Miku was sent home in a care sent by Crypton. Miku kept fake-coughing, and it was very believable. The whole class thought she really was sick, that the wind from the rock-climbing had caught her.<p>

As the small car disappeared around the hill, Luka sighed. She didn't hear the steps coming from behind her.

"So, Hatsune's gone, right?" Luka held back a groan. What did they want?

"Why are you talking to me?" she asked, turning around to her previous friends. Seeing them here made her angry. Did they only show up because Miku was gone? And what about the fun they were having during their activities?

"Well, you seemed a bit lonely, so we wanted to cheer you up!" Luka saw through Gakupo's eyes.

"No, you don't" she made sure her words were as cold as possible. "You only showed up now because you didn't want to be seen with Hatsune! And you are only here to get information!" the others felt silent. "Why do you guys not want to actually know her?" she asked.

"Well, we pestered her for a whole time, it would feel awkward-" Kaito was cut off.

"How do you think I felt? I felt great, seeing that girl cry into my shoulder! I felt as comfortable as ever!" she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I got over it, you idiots! Just because we teased her doesn't mean she's a lesser being!"

"It's not that, it's that maybe she wouldn't forgive-"

"She forgave me, right? And right off the bat, too! She's not selfish! And you know what, we even became great friends!"

The other three didn't answer at all.

"Maybe even better friends then you were" Luka finished as she turned on her heels and left.

* * *

><p>With Miku's absence, Luka was able to think a long time. She had nobody to talk to or play with. But it left an empty feeling. The whole night was spent awake, and the following day went by slowly. Breakfast ticked by, and the rally instructions entered one ear and exited the other.<p>

She felt miserably alone without Miku. The girl had this way of filling the room with her happy smiles and cheers.

Luka remembered everything they did. Every way Miku helped the taller girl, and everything Luka tried to do to repay herself. The save from the mob, the help with the report, the keeping the secret, the duet, it all came back slowly.

Luka realized that her feelings for the girl were ever-changing, and were changing too fast for it too be possible.

But in the end, they always were the same.

Luka had always wanted Miku's attention. Whenever she pestered the smaller girl, she wanted to be acknowledged. She wanted Miku to look at her.

When Luka realized that Miku always did admire her, she felt proud, as if she had won something. At that time, they weren't enemies anymore, but not entirely friends.

When Miku helped her with her song, she felt closer to her. They were both doing what they liked to do. They weren't enemies, but still not friends.

When the day of the report came, and everything around it: the duet, the interview, they came even closer. Then they were friends.

But the whole time, it was a little something more to Luka. The constant need to be with her was even felt when she was chased by the crowds at school. She needed to be with the girl, and felt happy with her.

Luka had an enormous crush on the young star.

That was why she always accepted the girl's requests. It was the reason she stuck with her to the end. It was the reason she stood up for her, even against her friends from always.

And yet, Luka didn't see it. Not until the rally started.

Luka was appalled when she came to the final conclusion. She felt bizarre, not entirely secure.

She had a huge crush on a girl! She wasn't supposed to, it was forbidden. A girl was not supposed to crush on another girl; it was frowned at by society.

Luka felt temporarily sick. She would have never thought it would come to this.

But it had a long time ago. From the moment she saw the small girl, with her long hair and bright blue eyes, she wanted her attention. And seeing her real beauty only made it stronger, but not more visible.

Miku would never return the feeling. A girl crushing on a girl was ridiculous, disgusting for some. It almost always ended badly, and with many tears.

Luka then felt very sad. Until she saw a cute guy, she would feel such forbidding things for the young star.

But men never attracted her. Not Gakupo, the school prince, or Kaito, with his deep voice. No boy had ever caught her eye.

Only the young star did.

Luka started falling in a turmoil of emotions. Insecurity, fear, sadness, and absolute happiness.

People who looked at her made her feel insecure. She was sure those watching eyes would see through hers, and that she will be pushed away from everything.

People's reactions caused her fear. The thought of being disowned by her parents, shun by her friends, and chased from and by Miku made Luka feel more scared then she ever had before.

A sadness drowned her at the thought that she wasn't like most. The thought of being alone scared her, but the tragedy of it all made her want to weep.

But the thought, the slight probability, the sliver of almost nothing, the impossible chance of Miku returning her feelings made her happy.

So many feelings for realizing only a simple crush was amazing. The fact appalled Luka so much.

But, when she actually thought about it, it wasn't that big. It was only a crush. Nobody said it would grow. It might just be her hormones working up, or something temporary. Nobody said it was permanent.

That relieved Luka. Gripping her walking staff with determination and hope, she walked on.

* * *

><p>Miku felt empty, all of a sudden. She was just about to enter her apartment after some morning shopping, but she felt like she was doing so much less.<p>

She missed Luka, there was no denying it. But she knew why, and already for quite some time.

She had been crushing on Luka since the second half of the school year. The admiration she had told Dorian was just the start.

She liked most everything about Luka. Her good grades, her freedom, and don't get Miku started on her perfect body.

Luka was almost a goddess in Miku's eyes. When she had ripped Luka's normality from her, it tore her a little. Now Luka's freedom was gone, she was a caged bird like she was.

But Luka seemed happy. Miku felt warm when she saw her smile, and the incident at the camp chalet didn't cool her down.

She couldn't bear being too far from Luka for too long, it burned as much as the pill in her throat.

She remembered the weeks they spent together. Luka had always helped her, as if she tried to make up for everything she had done. It made Miku a little sad that it was only to repay for her actions, and not for Miku herself.

Miku put her keys in her pocket and unloaded the bags of groceries. She remembered the last few days with a red face. The way Luka had hugged her from behind made her gut feel warm. Miku remembered how frustrated she was with that zipper. She was about to scream out loud when those warm arms wrapped around her middle. She felt Luka's chest push against her back and her face redden. Miku blushed even more at the memory.

Then, the way Luka had kissed her neck was incredible. Her lips were so soft, and so warm.

Miku shook her head; she knew Luka didn't feel the same way. A girl loving a girl was disgusting. Luka would only push her back and continue mocking her.

It hurt a little, knowing this.

But it didn't help her loneliness at the moment. Miku needed to see Luka.

Then she remembered the counselor's words.

Miku smiled.

* * *

><p>Luka groaned and collapsed on the couch. That rally was so tiring. And those questions were impossible.<p>

She looked at the clock. Two fifty. Seems as if that counselor underestimated them.

"_Thursday is an easy day. You will do a rally, and answer all the questions. The one with the most points gets a prize. The evening is quite simple. From whenever you guys manage to finish on, you guys are completely free. And seeing the length of the rally, we say it would be around three, but seeing your grades, we'd say it'll finish around four"_

The doorbell rang, interrupting the girl's thoughts.

Luka looked up, curious. Who would come at the door here? No mailman, there was a huge mailbox. No other visitor was on the program, and everybody was here. Luka's throat constricted.

Besides Miku. And she wasn't about to come back.

The teacher came walking towards the door, and the whole class followed. Everybody wanted to know who was there.

Luka also followed the crowd, genuinely curious. The teacher muttered something about some unexpected visitor, and opened the door.

"Hey, everybody!"


	6. Dark Shadows Crumble Walls

Everybody was gawking at the door, and Luka felt her heart race. Then a smile crawled over her face.

"Miku!" She almost yelled. The girl in the doorway smiled as well. "What are you doing here? I thought…." The taller girl trailed off, too happy to speak. She just thought she was going to spend the rest of the week alone, and here the diva comes and delivers her from her despair. Miku laughed.

"Well, I heard that my favorite coworker was up here alone, so I thought I'd come over!" the teacher glared at her discreetly. Miku nodded, indicated that they'd talk later. The older man scowled and left. Luka was grinning like mad.

"Well, I'm happy about that!" The whole crowd was grouping around the two. "I was starting to feel lonely!"

"Yeah, 'cause Hatsune called in sick, and abandoned Luka here!" yelled somebody from the crowd. Miku tsked.

"She's not such a bad person as you guys think!" The crowd froze. Loser knew Miku? "She's actually the one who told me you were alone, so I came right away!" she grinned in Luka's direction.

"Then I should thank her when I get home" replied the newer star. Miku smiled fully.

"Come' ere you!" she yelled playfully, throwing herself at Luka, Luka caught her and hugged her.

The whole crowd cheered, happy at the star's coming.

All besides two girls.

Neru and Haku were observing the scene from a distance. Neru was typing on her cell phone, seemingly not paying attention, and Haku was watching the stars more closely.

The two always used to hang out around Luka, even if Neru never said anything. But they quit the group when they realized something was amiss.

"I think I know" suddenly said the blonde. Don't let her appearance fool you. Her half-closed eyes saw everything, even when they were riveted on her phone. Haku turned to her as the huge crowd left outside. Neru started walking to the cafeteria, and the silver-haired girl followed.

"I'm pretty sure of my theory" said the blonde, putting her phone away. Haku sat at a chair as the other girl did.

"But I'll start with my observations" she let silence fill the room before continuing. "Number one: Luka is seen with Miku at Crypton the day after the big chase. At first it seems like coincidence. Then Luka nearly seemed to choke at insulting Hatsune, as you said" Haku nodded. "Then, the contest. It is completely normal, Luka could sing, and Miku choose her. But, they seemed a little too strange with each other. As if they've know one another for a long time, but things were awkward. This is when I started getting suspicious, especially when Miku told us about how they met. The story doesn't stand upright. They said they had bumped into each other some days before. Seeing that Luka had been seen with Miku one day, but had never talked about her before, we can safely assume they had met the last day. But that day, Luka was chasing Miku around the whole evening. And, according to resent developments, they had stayed with each other till the late evening, thus not giving Luka time to meet Miku in the streets. After that, not many things happened, not until camp, that's now. Hatsune hadn't said a thing before the activities two days ago. And I was walking past their room, when I heard Miku's voice, then Hatsune's. Shouting, nonetheless. And when Miku left for sick, before everybody heard yelling from their room. Loud yelling, then utter silence. Luka looked as if she lost a friend. But no, she had a look in her eyes. And she seemed much better after the rally, as if she had made her mind up about something. And, my final clue: Hatsune and Luka hugged right after Luka admitted they knew each other, right? Well, right here, right now, they made almost exactly the same movements. Not really a stable hint, but it is one. Do you get it?" Haku nodded.

"Miku and Hatsune is the same person. Plus, Hatsune has no given name and Miku no family name. The two complete each other"

"What threw everybody off was the hair and voice. The hair must be paint, and I did research for the voice. There are voice-changing pills out there, but at some price. Plus, Miku is outgoing and Hatsune is shy. It must have been to keep the secret" Haku nodded again, but asked another question.

"But towards the end of your observations, there is a bit that doesn't prove that Hatsune is Miku, just what Luka was doing this morning" Neru smiled.

"My final conclusion: Hatsune is Hatsune Miku and Luka is in love with her" a heavy silence filled the room. Haku had been able to see the first bit of information, but the last part threw her off.

"Love?" Neru nodded, face neutral.

"She thinks it is still a crush, but if the crush was able to hide, then the love is, too. She had been crushing on Hatsune for a long time" Haku slowly nodded again.

"What will we do with this information?" Neru asked all of a sudden. But it was a good question. They had just solved a top secret, and what were they going to do with it? "We have three options, one of which can lead to another. First is tell everybody, and that will eventually get to the press. Second, we tell only them that we know, and with their permission, it may end up the same as option number one. Third option is we stay just as mute about it as they" Haku thought for some time. "If they were keeping it a secret, then it was for a reason, but which?" the silver-haired girl knew the answer.

"Popularity. You saw how annoyed Luka looked at the crowds. She knew they weren't really friends, they were only bothersome. If we knew that Hatsune was Miku, what do you think would happen?" Neru nodded.

"Should we tell the world?" asked the more silent girl.

"Well, we hold no grudges against them; I see no reason to spoil their lives that would turn to our personal advantage. They'll tell the world when they're ready too"

And with that, they stood up and joined the crowds outside.

* * *

><p>Miku and Luka were being tossed around, but having fun the whole way.<p>

Luka was just happy Miku had come back. Maybe it was because Miku felt bad, or some other reason, but Luka felt happy about it.

People were back with the asking questions and being friendly. Luka saw the smaller girl cringe. Miku was surrounded by her biggest fear, fake friends and lies. She didn't feel comfortable amid this crowd who changed way in treating her merely on appearance.

And Miku must have known this was going to happen, thought Luka. It warmed her heart thinking that Miku had chosen being with her and her fear then being alone at home. Miku cleared her throat.

"Ok, you all know I can't answer three thousand questions at once!" the crowd approved. Ignorant fools, but that made it this much funnier. Luka smiled. "It's been awhile since I've seen Luka, so can I speak with her alone?" the whole crowd nodded, but didn't leave. Luka suppressed a groan.

"Ok, you idiots!" called out a new voice. Luka turned towards it, curious. There stood Haku and Neru, the blonde texting furiously. Apparently Haku was the one who had called out. "If they want to be alone, then scram! Are you really their fans, or what?" yelled the silver-haired girl with authority. The mob immediately spread away, but still looking at the stars. The duo singers walked up to their saviors, a little wide-eyes at the surprisingly loud voice.

"Thanks, Haku, Neru" said Luka. Neru looked up from her phone.

"We know, just to tell you guys" the two girls froze. They know? This was no good. With anybody else knowing, the fact could spread quickly. Especially if it was Neru, the keeper of all of the student's numbers. She could tell everybody in a push of a button. And Haku could apparently just yell the news, who knew she had such a loud voice?

Luka tried to feign ignorance.

"Know what?" Neru's gaze showed no emotion, and shifted it towards Miku.

"Your name is Hatsune Miku, correct?" Miku nodded slowly. Neru looked back down on her cell phone. "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone. Nor use it as blackmail, we see no gain or use in it. We just had to tell you" she looked up again, after a beep came from her cell phone. "You really have to be more discreet in the future" and with that, she smiled nicely.

* * *

><p>Miku and Luka had talked with the discreet pair of girls. Luka found it strange to talk about such a matter with Haku, before they used to tease the smaller girl together. And now, they were side-by-side again, and still around Miku. But they had handled the news just fine, and promised not to tell anybody, in any kind of way, direct or indirect.<p>

Now Luka and Miku were sitting in the grass, looking at the sun slowly crawl across the sky. It was about three fifteen, and everybody was playing outside having fun.

The two girls were having fun their own way. Both just cherishing that fact that they were side by side, slightly wishing they would be closer, but not knowing that the other thought exactly the same. But for now, just being with the other made them smile.

"I'm really happy you came back" said Luka with a calm voice. She smiled while she spoke, but couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Her heart was racing, and she was getting a little anxious, but she didn't know why. Now that Luka knew that she had a crush on the diva, it only made it worse. Luka felt worried about the fact that she liked a girl, it was frowned at by half of the entire globe. Plus, with her fame, if anybody knew it would be an enormous scandal. There were other stars that were gay or bisexual, but Luka was new and on the news everywhere. It would make the whole thing worse.

And also, it was on the famous Miku who she was crushing on. Luka knew that if ever Miku found out, she wouldn't be brash or rude, but the chances of her liking Luka back were one to a million. Why would she like the girl who was pestering her for ages? It was a lost hope.

"I'm happy I did" replied Miku with a calm, but clearly very happy voice. She smiled, and looked at Luka, who smiled in return.

Such calm, happy moments were rare, but extremely enjoyable. To be able to be happy with nothing but the sun, grass, wind, and the person next to you was treasured. A slight breeze flew over the grass, making it bend and wave, resembling a huge green ocean. The calls of their classmates rang in the distance, and the birds kept singing a little tune in between.

Miku started humming. Luka sighed when she recognized it, World's End Dancehall. It was a catchy tune, and it was gold in Luka's eyes. They had sung the song together, it was their first duet. Luka hoped they could make more.

Luka joined in the humming. When they got to the refrain, the both started muttering the lyrics. The melody was thrown out over the fields, and rang over the grass. They both felt at peace.

Miku suddenly sat up straight and stopped humming. Luka looked at her with a curious eye as Miku started smiling widely.

"I know what we could do this afternoon!" she said happily, turning towards the taller girl.

* * *

><p>The teacher sighed at the request made by the two girls. True, they had time, but was it really necessary?<p>

"Well, Miku…I don't know. It is at the government's pay that we are staying here, and I honestly don't think-" Miku interrupted him rudely.

"It won't be public, only for the class! Besides, why not? We have time, we have room, and I have material!" the older man sighed. There really were not enough arguments against the idea. On the contrary, it was a good pass-time for those lousy teenagers, instead of being glued to their screens all day.

"Very well. Do whatever is necessary and get the help you want. I will close the building for you" the man walked off, leaving Miku and Luka to plan.

"So, who should we ask for help?" asked the teal-haired diva. Luka thought for a moment.

"In any case, I think we could ask Neru and Haku, they know after all. Then, we have my old friends, Meiko, Kaito and the moron Gakupo…I hope they will accept" Miku counted with her fingers, and Luka couldn't help but think that was cute.

"So that's…seven people in total, including us!" she said with a grin. "I think that will be enough! I'll call my manager to ask for the material!" Luka nodded, and went to go ask Neru and Haku, then her friends.

* * *

><p>Luka, Miku, Neru, Haku, Kaito, Meiko and Gakupo put down the last bench. Luka was extremely relieved that her old friends had accepted to help, even if it might have been more for Miku then for her. She looked around the room, and was satisfied with the result.<p>

They were in the huge empty room of the chalet, but now it was far from empty. Rows of benches filled half of the room, and on the other half was the interesting part.

A huge stage covered the floor, with curtains and lights. Miku's manager, Dorian, had managed to get a fast-working crew to build that up. Loud speakers were at the sides of the stage, and more in the back of the room. When the lights would turn off, then then edges of the speakers and stage would glow, as would the white on everybody's outfits.

"Well, this is really cool!" said Kaito. Meiko nodded.

"It's awesome for you two to do this for us!" said the girl.

Luka's friends had officially met Haku and Neru right before building, and they were able to get along pretty fine, even if the duo remained silent most of the time. But everybody laughed whenever somebody made a mistake, especially when Meiko made a very amusing comment. Luka rubbed her hands, slightly tired.

"So, will you announce this to the others?" she asked. Neru looked from her cell phone.

"Done" Miku laughed.

"Can you do anything else then text really, really quickly?" Neru nodded, but didn't say anything.

"So in one hour everybody is here, then?" Luka nodded at Kaito's question. Neru and Haku excused themselves and took off, and did Kaito and Gakupo. Meiko stayed put, looking around a little.

Luka and Miku admired their work. It was five thirty, and in less than an hour this place would be a rocking feast catastrophe. Meiko cleared her throat and walked up to the taller star.

"Luka, I have thought over what you had said, about Hatsune" Miku looked at her coworker and friend, curious. They had been talking about her? "And I was wondering if I could get to know her as well? If you say we were acting like canned noodles, then I would try to have myself forgiven…" she trailed off, but Luka was staring at her wide-eyed. She grew wary.

"Why?" She asked carefully. Meiko took a deep breath.

"Well, you were able to make your point. You said we were making her life miserable, and I have no idea how that's like. I was wondering if you could tell me, so that I could understand" Luka didn't understand perfectly well, but Meiko was never really able to explain her way of thinking. Luka cleared her throat.

"I think Miku will be able to explain better" Luka wanted Miku to say, she didn't want to screw it up. Miku hesitated and sat down on a bench. The other two followed. The smaller girl spoke slowly and carefully.

"Hatsune lives completely alone, and works a very tough job. Most of the day, she is either at school, or at that job, and stays there mostly till late at night. She has no time to do homework or study for tests, and her job is extremely demanding. She is always tired and hungry because she doesn't even have time to shop, and wakes up late, so she can't prepare a proper lunch or snack. Hatsune tried not to think too much of your pestering over her, but it sure made it hard on her life. She didn't tell anybody though, because she didn't want to be pitied or mocked even more…" Miku felt strange explaining her own life to a person as if it wasn't her. But it felt relieving for this girl who pestered her to know her secret, even if it was terrifying. It was exactly the same as the night by the pond.

Meiko thought for a moment. She started feeling bad.

"I really feel like I've been acting like a shaved donkey butt" she said after a moment. She stood up and looked at Luka.

"I think I'm starting to understand you motives and actions. I was wondering if we could still be friends, and I'll try my best with Hatsune" Luka stood up.

"Good, but you won't get any other information about her from me. If she wants to tell you her name or any other thing, then it shall be her to tell you" Meiko nodded, and walked away.

The two girls remained in the room, the awkward atmosphere slightly fading away.

"Well, that felt strange" said Miku after a moment. Luka sighed heavily.

"Well, shall we practice our singing? Even if it isn't the real thing, we should" Miku smiled, and followed Luka to their room.

* * *

><p>The room was bustling with the class and people from the camp. The lights were on, and everybody's eyes were trained on the stage. Nobody knew how or when it was built, and it confused many about how it just appeared there in one afternoon. They tried to take some seats, having little to now idea of what was going to happen. All they knew was that they had to be here at this time at the latest.<p>

"Hey, have any idea why we're here?" asked Teto, a girl with strange bright pinkish red hair. Her friend shook her head no.

"Apparently Meiko and Kaito have some clue, or even Haku and Neru. Some say Gakupo, but I'm not sure" Teto turned to face Meiko, who was sitting right behind her.

"You know what is happening" she stated, taking a piece of bread out of her pocket. Meiko smiled mischievously, but didn't speak a word. The red-head grumbled at the brunette, and sat back in her seat.

Everybody was startled when she lights started fading out. People started panicking and yelling. Neru face-palmed, and Haku stood up.

"When lights are fading and when there's a stage that means shut the hell up!" she yelled with her surprisingly loud voice. The entire crowd was frozen, paralyzed. Haku sat down, saying it was incredible she had to yell twice in one day.

The lights turned off, and everybody retained their 'ooo's when the speakers were highlighted. Spotlights turned on, and turned towards the closed curtain.

The sound of a piano rang through the room, and most of the people recognized it. When it melted into a whole new melody, they started cheering.

The curtains opened, revealing Miku, the world-famous singer. When she started singing Meltdown, the magic kicked in and the whole crowd grew dead silent.

Luka watched from behind a pillar as Miku sang.

Luka had always been impressed by the way Miku imposed her presence when she sang. Nobody dared peep a sound, and yet nobody felt threatened. Even Luka, who was behind the girl, behind the scenes, felt the strange power.

But she was also mesmerized by the simple fact that it was Miku. She looked so happy, in her own dream world, far from reality. Luka wondered what the smaller girl was thinking about as she sang the song.

The music rang through the room and Miku's voice danced with it in harmony. The lights danced, the speakers hummed. When the song ended, the unbearable noise of cheering filled the chalet.

Miku walked off-stage, smiling at her friend. Luka smiled back as well.

"How do you do that?" quickly asked the tall girl. Miku didn't answer, just pushed the girl forward for her own song.

Luka stood behind the curtains, a little frustrated Miku hadn't answered. But that feeling quickly disappeared.

This was the first time she was singing in public. The first time a ton of people were going to watch her sing, and this time she was going to see their reactions. If she was good or bad, she would know just by looking at the thirty pairs of eyes in the room. A voice spoke in her ear. It was Miku.

The two had agreed to take care of each other's songs, since there was no other crew. The lights were controlled by a janitor, who gladly agreed to do the job. But the music was controlled by the one of the two girls who wasn't on stage.

"Ready? You have to say the first words at the same time as the music, you know that?" Luka huffed in her microphone.

"Of course! I wrote the song!"

They were each going to present their own song, then the newest two. Miku chose Meltdown, a classic favorite, and Luka the only song she wrote by herself. Then, they were going to dazzle the crowd with the barely-ever-seen-before 'Love is War', just barely out, and then the unreleased 'World's End Dancehall'.

"Ok, on the count to three" said Miku. Luka took a deep breath. Miku heard it in her headset. "Relax, it's no different from the contest. Just sing your heart out" Luka nodded.

For some reason, this was way scarier than at the contest. Was it because it was her song? Or maybe because half of the people here had never heard her sing live before, or at all.

"One" Luka released her breath. This was going to take a long time.

"Two" Luka shook her head, and looked at her feet. She was going to nail this, just like at the contest.

"Three"

* * *

><p>Miku stepped from the stage, face radiant. Luka stood there, and stopped the CD when the song ended.<p>

"You were great!" praised the taller girl. Miku scoffed.

"You sang better! When I heard you, I thought you weren't the same person!" Luka smiled.

True, she really did her best for her song. She had no idea what made her go so far, but it worked wonders. The crowd was as silent as it was for Miku, but Luka hadn't noticed, only when it exploded with cheers and applause a full minute after the final note rang.

"Ok, last song. Gee, this is the shortest concert I've ever had" said Miku. Luka put the correct CD in and stepped on stage with Miku. The curtains were open, and, the lights were on them.

The crowd looked disappointed. Was this it? They were saying goodbye already? But Luka only sang one song!

When the two divas raised their hands to silence the murmurs, everybody complied.

"People, what we are going to show you next will be our last song!" announced Miku. The crowd started whining, but Luka continued.

"It is unreleased, unseen before by anybody but ourselves and our staff. You will be the very first people strangers to Crypton industries who will hear it!" Luka took out the remote, and pointed it to the CD player.

"Please hear our song, World's End Dancehall!" the music started at the push of the button, and the crowd cheered once more. Neru looked at them wait for their cue. This song was new? It was a duet? She was truly curious at what their first song together was going to look like. Looking over at Haku, she saw that the girl was thinking the same.

Meiko looked at the duo. They looked absolutely great, if not adorable, together. Something around them brought an electric fizz in the air.

When they both started singing, nobody bared to breathe.

Their voices complemented each other like no other. Nobody had ever heard such a duet. The music danced in their eyes and in their ears, the lowest notes making their chests vibrate and the highest pitches ringing in their skulls.

But nobody had it like the two girls on stage.

Luka found it magical to be singing next to Miku. The beat made the stage under her feet thrum, and the lyrics poured out of her mouth naturally. For the moment, this was her favorite song to sing, just because Luka sung it with her favorite person, Miku.

And yet, this sweet taste had a bitter side as well. It was never going to last, only for this song. Luka knew this, but didn't care. She made her best out of it, making this short moment last forever in her memories.

Miku smiled widely. Luka was singing next to her, smiling as well, and that was all she needed. Her problems were cast aside, unimportant. All that mattered was the person next to her.

Luka was the most beautiful person Miku had ever met. She knew that Luka would never see her as the same, but for the length of this song, that didn't matter. They were alone on the stage, alone in this silent world. Miku no longer saw the scary shadows that haunted her nightmares, only the brilliant form of the person she loved.

When the final note played, silence invaded the room with a warm grip. Seconds passed, Luka and Miku smiling stupidly at each other, both thinking that their feelings are only going one way. But they had enjoyed every moment of singing together. They only woke up from their own little worlds when the audience exploded in the most fantastic applause ever.

Some demanded an encore, some demanded an autograph, and the two singers knew that their song was going to be a hit.

Luka took out the CD, still smiling.

"Our song was a success!" yelled Miku, throwing her arms in the air. Luka laughed.

"You can say that!" Miku sighed contently. The janitor walked up.

"Wow, I loved that last song! Great job, and thanks for letting me control the lights!" he was smiling widely as well. The two girl's laughs must have been contagious.

"No problem, janitor-senpai!" responded the smaller girl.

"Well, if you two want dinner, then head outside! The teacher and counselor have put up a dinner in the garden. Everybody is heading there now" and the man walked away, carefully stepped over the delicate little stair that descended from the stage. Luka looked at Miku.

"Well, I am pretty hungry" spoke the taller girl. Miku stretched.

"And man, am I thirsty!" Luka giggled a bit and carefully walked down the little stair. The thing was not attached to anything accept gravity, and Luka knew it was better to be careful about it if somebody didn't want to get hurt.

Luka had found the moment so enchanting. She had wanted it to last for so long, if eternity wasn't in their reach. Just being able to do something with her was…magical almost.

How everything had changed. In less than three weeks Luka had gone from wanting to annoy Miku with all her heart to sporting one of the hugest crushes in the history of humanity.

She hadn't realized that Miku had paused to turn off the speakers on stage.

"Hey! Wait for me!" she called out. Luka turned around and smiled as Miku hurried to catch up with her.

Luka's eyes went wide when the little stair had to give away, and her wide eyes were soon accompanied by an extremely red face.

Miku had fallen right on her. Right against her chest, right into her arms, right against her lips.

Luka stared with wide eyes into Miku's bright blue ones, who were equally appalled. They stood there, staring, not being able to get out of this trance.

Luka wanted to cheer, sing her heart out, to kiss her with all the emotions she had for this girl. But she couldn't. She was as frozen as a statue.

They both felt torn between two sides of their minds. One said that this was a catastrophe; they weren't allowed to kiss or love another girl. It said that they should stop, walk away from the other, and never talk with her again. It said "What if somebody sees you like this?" It said that this was disgusting, that the other was never going to talk with her again, because she was revolting.

The other side said that this was a miracle, an incredible feat of luck that had to be taken advantage of, and still pass for an accident, without ruining anything between them. It said that they should spend the rest of their lives together, side by side, kiss or not. It said "I don't give a damn about anybody else says!" It said that this was a magical event that they had the little broken stair to thank for.

They had no idea what to do. They just stood there, seconds passing by slowly, one after the other, without one or the other making the slightest move. They didn't breathe, didn't flinch, didn't wink, or didn't swallow.

Miku slowly stood up on her own feet, breaking the kiss. They just stayed mute, not daring to say the slightest thing or make a quick move.

They both felt scared. What was the other's reaction going to be? Will the other be disgusted, neutral or positive about it? The fear of the other's opinion of this accident shone in their eyes, but failed to be seen by the other.

Luka swallowed heavily, breaking their trance, their dance with their inner feelings. Miku jumped a little, and mumbling something incoherent while quickly exited the room.

Luka had no idea what to do. She couldn't remember how magical it felt to have Miku's lips on hers'. The fear had swallowed it all when the diva had walked out the room.

Did Miku hate her now? Was she revolted by her? Scared of her? Disgusted by her? The terror was so great it made Luka want to throw up, and die in a hole.

She didn't pull away simply because she was too shocked, Luka thought. If she had had her thoughts straight, she would have pulled away and Miku wouldn't have been the wiser. But they were both too appalled by the accident to do anything.

Luka swallowed again, feeling sick. She looked at the door where Miku had disappeared.

What was she to do? Do as if it had never happened? No, for some reason, that answer didn't sound right. To do as if never happened was wrong.

Luka wanted to make things right. Even if it might have been one of the happiest moments she had ever lived, she wanted to apologize. To make Miku think that she didn't pull away because she enjoyed it, which wasn't a complete lie, seemed bad. Especially if Miku thought it was disgusting.

But, even if Miku _did _like it, then she should still apologize. If they ended up going out, then it would ruin their, not to mention Miku's, reputation. Luka didn't want to do that to the girl who had worked so hard to gain it.

Luka took her courage in her two hands and followed the girl with a slow, slightly determined step.

Luka stepped outside. The janitor didn't lie; the garden had been transformed into this massive table. Plates of food were passed by students, everybody helping themselves to the meat, vegetables or soups.

It looked almost like a scene from one of those fantasy books, all these people eating in the grass, passing food from one to another. It seemed really amusing.

Luka gulped when she saw Miku sitting at the place they were hours before, admiring the sun and wind. Now the scenery was totally different. The sun had just set, making the sky go red, orange and further up, purple.

It was extremely romantic, and that didn't help the slightest bit. Luka slowly walked past her classmates, ignoring the congratulations and praises. What she saw was Miku, sitting there, in the grass, in front of the sunset. Luka saw the person she might lose, her best friend, the person she adored.

If she was going to lose this person, then it wasn't going to happen without a fight.

Luka slowly sat next to her, not too close.

Miku held back a loud sigh of relief when Luka sat next to her. So she didn't feel completely disgusted by her after all.

She had left out of utter fear, the terror of hearing Luka's words of disgust too great. But now, Luka was next to her, probably to apologize.

Luka inhaled deeply, and Miku sighed. The taller girl turned towards her, concern devouring her face.

"Miku" Miku looked at her, telling the girl she was going to listen to the end.

"What had happen back there was an accident. I didn't mean to…" she trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence. Partly because it felt extremely awkward, partly because of the chance somebody might have been listening. Miku smiled weakly, slightly disappointed.

"It's ok, Luka. I understand. I was going to say the same thing, actually" Luka smiled back, just as feebly.

"So, nothing happened?"

"Nothing happened" Luka spoke, a bitter taste filling her mouth as she said the words. They smiled, both wanting to say that they wished it wasn't an accident, both wanting to scream their feelings to the other. But they contained themselves, too scared to admit the truth.

Neru watched from afar. To be perfectly honest, she had seen it all. The blonde had wanted to reward the duo, because personally she had loved the song. She had seen the stair crack under Miku's light weight, which surprised her greatly, but not as much as what followed the accident.

Seriously, the girls had stayed in a state of shock for about two minutes. If it weren't for their wide eyes and their completely paralyzed bodies, anybody would have sworn they were voluntarily kissing.

Neru had left after the first ten seconds, a little dazed as well, covered with a slight blush. It was a bit strange, seeing two girls kissing, only because you don't see it often.

But it was actually quite fortunate, such an accident. Only that the two were way too scared and shy to admit. Neru grumbled a little. Even if she was texting the whole time, she was probably the person who saw the most. She saw the feelings reflected in the two girls as they just stood there. Fear, happiness, worry, bliss. But those two girls were blind. Or too lost in their own thoughts.

But what followed the kiss should have told the other that they actually did enjoy it. Who lets an accidental kiss go by so suddenly, so easily? If one of them didn't like it, then she would have refused to speak to the other for the rest of her life.

They should both know, but no, they had to be stubborn. Neru huffed a little and walked away.

* * *

><p>Luka and Miku sighed and fell on Miku's couch. The smaller girl groaned when she saw puffs of dust take air from the ground and from the furniture.<p>

"I must really clean house" she mumbled. Luka smiled.

"Then get to it already!" the two had just come back from school. Luka had her luggage get brought home by Steve, and now they were at Miku's house.

The camp ended with a huge party which ended at one in the morning. Of course, all of the students were extremely tired the day after, and the teachers were cranky. But the whole time, everybody had a good time.

Luka and Miku had been able to vanquish the slightly awkward atmosphere every time their eyes met. At first, it was almost noticeable, but they quickly put the incident behind them.

Miku groaned at Luka's reply.

"But it's so much work!"

"Then we'll do it together!" chirped the taller girl. Miku looked up, a thankful smile growing on her face.

"But not now…I'm too tired" Luka shook her head and stood up, making more dust float on the air.

"Nope! We're doing it now, to get it over with!" Luka walked away, searching for cleaning material. The smaller girl quickly followed, somewhat grumpily.

* * *

><p>Luka and Miku stood at the doorway, Luka with a mop and Miku with a rag. Dust covered their proud smiling faces.<p>

It was probably late at night, but they didn't care. The whole apartment was clean, and smelled like soap. The floors were mopped and the furniture was beaten until no more dust came out. The walls, before grey, now shone white. All cobwebs were gone, and the mossy atmosphere replaced with a feeling of well-being.

"I forgot the floor was that color…" sighed Miku, whipping her face. Luka laughed a little. The whole apartment had changed.

"Well, I need to take a shower…" muttered the smaller girl. Luka sighed and sat on the bed. Miku halted her steps.

"Luka, you can stay over, if you want" The taller girl thought about the proposal. She had no spare clothes.

"No, it's ok. I need to go home, anyway"

Miku nodded, and left to clean herself.

Luka wiped her face and brushed her clothes. She was going to call her manager if she could get a car here to bring her home. Her manager was a good man who eagerly helped her whenever she wanted or needed.

Luka sighed when she found a few messages on her cell phone.

_Hello, Luka._

_World's End Dancehall is being published tomorrow, Miku must also know by now. But more requests have come for another single from you. Please consider writing a new song real soon. If you cannot write one for the end of next week, then you can select one from our list._

_Your Manager._

Luka sighed. Another song already? She just got back from a camp! A tiring one, at that, not to mention all the different things they did.

Luka reddened a little at the memory of the accident. She sighed, and opened the second message.

_Hi!_

_Luka, if u are free this week-end, Id like to bring u and Hatsune 2 the attraction park that just opened a little way out of town. We can take the 12:00 train and b back at 5. Is it ok if Gakupo and Kaito come, 2? I talked with them as well, and they also want to have themselves forgiven. To b perfectly honest, we feel like bleating cows for what we have done. Text me back! _

_Meiko_

Luka smiled. Meiko really was trying, unlike herself. The tall girl heard the shower turn on. Thinking she will tell Miku about the invitation later, she called her manager.

0o0

Luka and Miku were waiting at the station. It was ten to twelve, and they were waiting for Meiko, Kaito and Gakupo to come. Miku had her hair painted, and her voice changed. They were jeans and short-sleeved shirts. The day was warm and sunny, a perfect day to go out.

Miku looked up at Luka, then at the clock, before looking back at her feet. Luka smiled.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Miku jumped. Was she that obvious?

"Well, a little" Luka looked at the clock as well. The three others were late.

"Don't worry. I'll be there, so nothing will happen. I'll make sure of that" Miku slowly nodded. Luka looked around. For some reason, going out with her friends again felt a little strange.

She spotted the trio crossing the road.

"There they are!" Miku inhaled deeply. The three newcomers walked up to them. They were smiling, but not in a bad or mean way. The smaller girl relaxed a little.

"Hi, Luka, hi, Hatsune, how is the world?" asked the brunette, trying to start a conversation.

The atmosphere felt awkward. It hung around them, stinking of uncertainty. Nobody knew exactly what to do. Luka answered for her and Miku.

"The world is fine" she said with a smile. Miku didn't know where to look, or what to say. These people were once the subject of her nightmares. What should she do?

"Good to hear. So, when's the train coming?" Luka didn't have to look at the clock.

"About five minutes" Meiko smiled and turned towards Miku, who jumped.

"Time for a proper introduction! My name is Sakine Meiko, call me Meiko. This blue-haired ice-brain is Shion Kaito, and this purple-minded noddle is Kamui Gakupo" Miku tried a smile. "And if you don't want to give your name, we understand! Now smile for real, 'cause you're making me feel miserable!" Luka smiled at Meiko's efforts, while Gakupo and Kaito were complaining about their nicknames. They really were a great bunch.

Miku laughed a little at Meiko's introductions. She felt like a shy kid: not talking but laughing at whatever people tell her.

Meiko told a few more jokes, most of them concerning the grumbling boys, making them all laugh. Whenever the boys protested, she always had a comeback.

Miku immediately thought of these people differently. They liked having fun, and loved to laugh. They only teased her because they were bored, and they excused themselves for that. Miku quickly forgave them, before making a joke of her own, appalling everybody there, even Luka.

When the train arrived, they quickly took whatever free seats there were, and continued laughing and making jokes. They talked about everything, and teased each other with their habits and favorite foods.

"Kaito's brain freezes over because of all the ice he eats"

"Luka's becoming a singing fish from all that tuna!"

"Gakupo's already an eggplant"

When they all arrived at the theme park, their moods became even better.

"Well, this is a cool park!" exclaimed Meiko. Miku, wide-eyed, lifted her shoulders.

"I wouldn't know. I've never been at an amusement park"

"Then it's time we tell you what we do at such a place!" replied Luka, poking her between the ribs. Miku blushed a bit.

"So, what do you want to try?" offered Kaito. "If you've never been at one before, then I think you get to choose where to go!" Miku smiled at his kindness. They were actually very nice.

The smaller girl looked around. A large stall caught her eye. Many stuffed animals hung at the walls, and towers of cans stood at the very back. A large sign hung under the counter. Only a few yen for three throws.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the stall. Meiko groaned.

"You have to throw the small tennis balls at the cans. If you topple them all over, then you get a prize" Luka grinned.

"And you are a real professional at that game, right?" Meiko grumbled.

"You have the best aim ever!" teased Gakupo, earning a smack from the brunette. Miku smiled.

"Can I try it?" the others nodded, and walked up towards the stall.

"I'll go first, if you don't mind!" offered Kaito. Miku nodded.

The blue-haired ice-cream lover paid and took the three balls. He carefully took his aim, and threw.

He got five of the ten cans. With a groan, he let Meiko go next. She missed completely. Gakupo succeeded in getting them all, and he got a toy katana. Luka didn't want to go.

"Why not?" asked Miku. Luka looked away.

"I am really bad at such a game!" she mumbled. Miku grinned.

"That's the fun of it! Just try, then you can leave knowing that didn't leave without a fight!" Luka sighed, but stepped forward.

She managed to get eight of the ten cans, getting a bunch of cheers from Miku and the others. Miku finally dared to step forward.

Those can suddenly seemed very far away, and seemed impossible to reach. Could these small tennis balls really topple them over?

Taking careful aim, she threw the ball as hard as she could.

One, single, shot. All the cans toppled over with a splendid crash. Her new friends all cheered, and the crowd clapped for the girl.

Miku smiled, proud of herself. The man walked over to her.

"Ok, girl. What do you want?" She looked at the rows of toys. There were tigers, unicorns, video game characters, toy weapons, animals, the choice seemed impossible to make.

A small keychain caught her eye. Two butterflies hung from the metal ring, one pink and one blue.

It was adorable, she couldn't resist. She quickly chose it, and the man gladly gave it to her.

"What a cute keychain!" exclaimed Meiko, admiring the little object. Miku smiled.

"I don't know why, it just caught my eye" Miku carefully hung it on her cell phone.

"So, where next?"

* * *

><p>They had tried everything. Apple bobbing, ghost trains, fortune tellers, everything that caught Miku's eye. The four others gladly followed her, laughing the whole time and making jokes.<p>

Luka had paid for cotton candy, while Gakupo got everybody drink. While Miku was sipping her leek juice (she couldn't help it), one final attraction got her attention.

"Let's go there!" the others gasped.

It was a huge rollercoaster, with loops and twirls. They heard people scream as they went upside down, and gulped.

"You want to go on that?" squeaked the purple-haired boy, clutching his katana. Miku shrugged.

"Why not?" Meiko slapped her on the back.

"Best argument ever! Let's go!" The five friends stood in the short line for the ride.

Miku was jumping with excitement, Meiko seemed more or less neutral, Luka was fidgety and the two boys were shaking.

"Miku, you sure you want to do this?" asked the taller diva. Miku smiled.

"Of course! If this is the last time I'll come here, then better make it count!" Miku then thought for a moment. "But, if you don't want to come, then I won't force you to…" Luka smiled.

"Ok, I'll come!"

"Isn't that adorable! Two best friends, you are!" exclaimed the brunette. The two girls blushed a little when people turned to look at them.

"Meiko, keep quiet!" shushed the pink-haired girl. Meiko shook her head.

"Nope! I swear, if I hadn't seen you with Miku, then I would declare you two the cutest duo ever!" The two blushed even more. Luka wanted to protest, but it was their turn to go.

"Come on! We don't have all day!" called the man who was manipulating the controls. They all inhaled deeply, and took their seats.

* * *

><p>Luka watched the trio go towards the ride.<p>

The rollercoaster was real fun, so Miku decided to go again. Luka preferred not to. She was slightly scared of heights, and seasickness overcame her in the middle of the ride.

Gakupo stood at her side. He had decided to stay as well. He also felt sick on the crazy ride. Meiko and Kaito, however, had the time of their lives. They joined Miku in line for their second round.

Luka watched as the wagon departed, and as Miku's brown-painted hair flew all around as she rose her hands. Meiko and Kaito quickly joined the smaller girl. Luka wished she could have just as much fun on such a sickening contraption, but her stomach wasn't with it.

She looked around. It was slowly getting darker, but there were still many people running around, having fun.

They were able to pass the whole day together without any fights. Miku led them everywhere, and the four others always agreed.

Meiko, Kaito and Gakupo were being really nice to Hatsune. They really were trying to make up for their past. It made Luka feel relieved.

Now, she could pass her days at Miku's side whenever she wanted, without the constant stares and mean words. She will be able to talk to her as much as she wanted.

Luka almost yelled when Gakupo pulled her behind a stall.

"Idiot, what was that for?" asked the girl, rubbing her arm. Gakupo seemed nervous.

"Luka, remember the day the crowds followed you?" she nodded.

"How couldn't I?"

"Remember they said that you were going out with me?" Luka nodded again, suddenly wary. "Well, that day I wanted to ask you something, but I didn't get the chance, and I chickened out after that, but now I want to ask you…" Luka understood, but wasn't able to speak. "Luka, I liked you for quite some time already, and I was wondering..." he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.

Luka wanted to refuse politely, but didn't get the chance. Gakupo suddenly pulled her forward, and put his lip against hers'.

Luka froze. This wasn't happening, she wasn't kissing Gakupo.

For some reason, it felt wrong, bad. It seemed so sweet, but it tasted bad, like a sour apple. It didn't feel like the time she kissed Miku, even if that was an accident. Back then, it felt almost comfortable, despite the shock. Here, it was only shock and action, nothing more. Luka felt no feeling, no emotion besides utter surprise.

Then, she felt slightly angry. He didn't have to do this! This was unnecessary, kissing her like that, by surprise. She didn't give her consent in any way.

She shook her head, and pushed him away by the shoulders as hard as she could. Gakupo didn't look like much, but he was mighty strong.

The boy staggered back, slightly surprised.

"Sorry, Gakupo, but no. My answer is no" she said, glaring at the boy. "We were friends for a long time, and I don't intend our friendship to become something more. You're a good guy, but please, don't ever do that again!" feeling tears coming to her eyes, Luka turned away, but met three other pairs of wide eyes.

Miku, Meiko and Kaito were staring at the scene, mouths open in surprise. Luka pushed past them, not willing anybody to see her cry.

Luka felt bad and strange. Gakupo was really a good person, but she didn't like him that way.

She was also furious because Gakupo had no reason to kiss her like that. She felt attacked, forced into something she didn't want.

She felt strange when she met Miku's gaze. It was incredulous, and also there was something else she couldn't place. Luka had read a million and one stories like this, with the unreadable eyes, etc… but it was true, she couldn't see what was in there.

But Luka felt almost dirty. To be forced, pushed on like that, it left a sick feeling in her stomach. It was nothing like the accident at camp. Was it because it was an accident, or because she actually enjoyed it a little, or because it was Miku? In any case, she didn't want that to restart. She didn't want anybody forcing such a thing from her.

Luka entered a small room. She had no idea what it was for, or where she was, but she didn't care. It was small and dark, she could stay here a little while and calm down.

Miku stared with wide eyes at the place were Luka had disappeared. What she saw…

**_She felt the wall against her back, and fell to the floor, trying to cover herself up with her torn shirt. A laugh filled the room. "Come now, Miku. Don't make it hard for the both of us" Miku whimpered when she saw the hand reach out in her direction._**

"You idiot!" yelled Miku as loud as she dared in Gakupo's direction. "You hurt her! Was that really necessary? You better go say sorry or else I'll kick you sorry butt!" she glared at the boy.

Those tears, she recognized them out of any other. Luka felt bad, forced, betrayed. Not that much, but still.

Luka hadn't dared hit the boy or get mad at him for the same reason as Miku: they were friends, she couldn't possibly hit him. They had gone a long way together, and they didn't want to make matters worse than they already became.

But then, it hurt. Without the ability to get mad at anyone, the sensation of being trapped invades the mind.

Without wasting another moment, she chased after the pink-haired girl.

Miku listened closely, trying to hear anything besides the noise of the passing crowd.

Gakupo didn't know what he had done. He was handsome, but a little foolish and carefree. Luka had given him her trust, and he had thrown it away with a kiss.

Sure, he was just trying to tell her his feelings, but he just needed to tell them, not act upon them. He did much more damage than he thought.

A small door caught her eye. It was slightly open, and inside the room to which it lead was dark. It was a good place for Luka to hide.

Miku silently entered the small room. It was filled with everything: shovels, masks, rods of metal, costumes, and there was even a small stall. Miku strained her ears, and heard a soft, but persistent, slightly forced breathing coming from a corner.

Miku closed the door behind her, but not completely. The dark was reassuring, but not when the door was closed. It gave a feeling of being unable to flee, an absence of freedom.

Miku knew this. She knew exactly how Luka felt, and how to reassure her. This has happened to Miku, but ten time's worse. Miku shuddered at the dark memories.

The breathing stopped when Miku stepped on a bar of metal, making a dry, clanging sound.

"It's ok, Luka. It's me" she had no idea if that would make her feel better or worse.

"Miku?" the smaller girl spotted the pink-haired diva sitting behind a pile of clothing. Miku slowly sat next to her.

She could barely make out the outline of her face, but she knew she was worried, and didn't know what to do.

"How are you feeling, Luka?" the taller girl exhaled heavily.

"I don't know…confused?" Luka groaned when she realized that wasn't it. "I don't know! This is all…" Miku rubbed her on the shoulder.

"Yet you knew Gakupo liked you, right?" Luka nodded.

"But…for him to do that, all of a sudden…" she trailed off. Miku sat closer to her.

"Be happy he didn't do more. He's a good guy, like you said, just a little carefree. He had no idea about what he did to you" Luka moved a little.

"So, you know, then?" she asked, her voice seeming careful. Miku shook her head.

"I know how you feel. The shock only lasts a day or two, then it's gone" Luka moved again, and this time Miku knew she was looking at her.

"Was it what happened at camp that made you feel this way?" she asked. Miku could hear the tears in her voice. "Did I make you feel like this?"

"No, no. it was somebody else, don't worry. What happened at camp was an accident, it was the stair's fault" Luka looked away again.

"So…what do I do now?" she asked. Miku inhaled deeply before replying.

"I say you wait for him to apologize, and tell him how you felt. Then, you will move on easily" Miku felt sad while saying this. She knew she was right, though. Luka sighed.

"I didn't think he would be so…blunt" Miku rubbed her back.

"It will be ok, don't worry" Luka turned towards her, and Miku could see her slight smile.

"Thanks, Miku" Miku huffed a little.

"I didn't do that much, really"

"You talked to me, that's all I needed" Miku smiled as well, and they shared a hug.

"Hey! You two in here?" called a voice. It was Meiko. Miku looked at Luka to see if she wanted to come out yet or not. Luka smiled weakly.

"We're here! Just get Gakupo over here, I need to talk to the boy!" replied Miku. She heard the door close as Meiko left, yelling something about roasted turkey.

"I'll talk to him. When he apologizes, I swear he will be sincere" Miku then stood up and gave Luka her hand. When the taller girl didn't take it, Miku left the room without her.

Gakupo came, being dragged by the ears by Meiko. Kaito had no idea what to do, so he just watched. Miku cleared her throat, getting the purple-haired boy's attention.

Miku gave him a careful explanation of what he had done. He had somewhat betrayed Luka's trust; she didn't expect him to do such a thing. Gakupo listened carefully, proof that he really regretted making Luka feel bad. Miku didn't let him make any interruptions whatsoever, only when she asked a question.

"So, ready to apologize, knowing everything you are apologizing for?" asked the girl, arms crossed. He nodded, his head low.

Meiko looked at the scene, not knowing if she should be astonished or jealous.

Hatsune was really doing everything for Luka, she was the perfect best friend. And apparently, she knew exactly what she was talking about. She knew what to say for anybody to feel sorry for killing a bug. She was impressive, and helped Luka out right to the end.

When she finished lecturing the purple noodle, she re-entered the room, probably to talk to Luka.

"Hatsune is the best friend a person could have" stated Kaito, wide-eyed. "Did she really do all that for Luka?" Meiko nodded.

"Yep"

"Then that's a person I'd rather have on my side"

They didn't know the small girl they teased at school could be so serious about anything. She was acting the total opposite then she usually did.

Gakupo was soon called in to apologize, and the remaining duo could only wait.

The purple-haired boy entered the small room. He quickly spotted the two girls. Miku was looking at him expectantly, and Luka seemed a little down.

Gakupo inhaled deeply, and prepared for probably the longest speech of his life.

* * *

><p>All five friends got off the train, and separated to go home. Luka and Miku shared a stretch, so now they were walking side by side on the streets.<p>

The sun was setting, making the sky turn orange. The streets were almost empty; just a few people were walking home or parking their cars.

Everything ended on a positive note. Gakupo managed to apologize, and Luka forgave him. He really was a little carefree. But now that they thought about it, they made a huge business about such a little action, as if it were the happening of the century. And yet, it almost felt like that for Luka.

Luka jumped from her thoughts when Miku let out an enormous sigh.

"Well, that was fun!" she exclaimed, stretching her arms above her head. Luka smiled. Yes, it really was fun.

"Well, see you tomorrow, ok Luka?" the taller girl nodded, and went her way.

Miku sighed again, pulling up her hoodie.

The afternoon was great fun. Miku had met new people, who were all really nice. She didn't fear them anymore, just like with Luka, though she doesn't completely trust them yet. They were nice, but they only knew each other for a day.

Miku flipped open her cell phone to check her inbox. The noise of plastic against metal made her smile; she had almost forgotten the small keychain she had won.

The two butterflies hung from her phone, swinging at the rhythm of her steps. Miku thought it was funny that the two were pink and blue. It wasn't the exact same shade blue of her hair, or the same pink, but it reminded her of Luka and herself.

Letting the memories of the day flutter in her mind, she opened her inbox and found one message.

_Miku,_

_World's End Dancehall has been published, as you may know. You must work on a new song, or try to make a music video for W.e.D., because it's a success. We want you two to design it, because we understand it's special for you, seeing that it's your first duet. _

_So, please make a song or a music video, due for next Friday. _

_Dorian_

Miku shuddered slightly when she read the last word. She quickly got over and entered her home, fumbling a little with the keys.

She didn't have any ideas for a new song, or any idea how a music video for World's End Dancehall would look like. It was a complicated song, with many riddles. It would be difficult to represent them without giving them away. At the same time, they didn't know them all, either.

She sighed, and unpacked her schoolbag. She had a lot of homework for the next Monday, so better get started now.

* * *

><p>Luka and Miku met the three others on the train. They continued having fun, much to the two divas' pleasure. They were not strange or bizarre anymore, they were perfectly normal people others won't have a problem talking to.<p>

When they entered the class, they all went to their seats just before the bell rung. The teacher cleared his throat.

"Class, we are receiving a new student today. He just moved in from another city with his twin, who will be in another class. I hope you will be nice to him" he turned towards the door and called that he could enter. Luka's eyes widened.

A boy with spiky blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail entered the room. He wasn't tall, but he wasn't short. Not really handsome, but too mature to be cute. Two large, not quite childish eyes turned towards the class.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Len Kagamine. I hope we can get along"

Luka scanned the class for some reason. Was she the only one who knew or recognized this boy? She saw Miku look up, slightly wide-eyed, and Neru just stare blankly. But other than that, nobody seemed to know him.

This boy was now in her class, then. This guy who wanted the job for the money.

When their eyes crossed, he smirked.

"I didn't think I'd meet you again" he stated bluntly. She sat straight in her chair, expression solid.

"To be perfectly honest, I thought exactly the same" she didn't want to insult him on his first day. It would give her a bad name. Teasing a new kid was kind of a bad trick to pull.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Miku look at her with a questioning face. She shrugged it off for the time being.

"Oh, so you know each other?" asked the teacher, ignorant of the tension building in the air.

He and Luka were almost enemies. Everybody felt that now.

"Yes. We met at the contest, were I won" she stated, smirking at his face. Luka didn't notice Neru staring at her with a weird face.

"Only because you and Miku knew each other. You were friends, right?" he snapped back. Luka didn't even flinch.

"We barely knew each other then. I won because I knew how to sing. I think my success proves the fact" he scowled. The others didn't dare intervene. The teacher was still an ignorant fool.

"Well, since you two know each other, Len, you can sit right in front of her, next to Hatsune" Luka's eyes widened. Len nodded, and sat next to the girl.

Miku didn't know what to do. Len was studying her, a little too closely.

"Can, can I help you?" she asked quietly. He backed up a bit.

"I just have the impression that I've seen you somewhere before…" he stated, concentrated. Miku looked at Luka, panicking. She had no idea why those two didn't like each other, but she knew that he was bad news.

The teacher then began his class, leaving the trio to their minds.

Luka was a little confused and a little mad. She really didn't like this boy, and she knew that he recognized Miku. He could be a real threat later on. If he really did figure the star in disguise out, then he could use it as some serious blackmail.

Miku was a little frightened. Why did Luka hate this boy so much? Sure, he wasn't really nice to the tall girl, either. But he said that he saw her before, and that scared her.

Len only smirked.

* * *

><p>"So that's it" murmured Miku. Luka had just told her about her hateful relationship with the boy. "What do you think he'll do, later on? I mean, he said he saw me somewhere" Luka hummed in her thoughts. She was looking at the boy from a distance. He was talking with a girl who looked quite a lot like him; not really an adult, but no child. She wore a huge ribbon on her head and a huge smile. She seemed like a really nice person, in the opposite of the boy.<p>

"If he recognizes you, we'll be in big trouble" mumbled the taller girl. Miku nodded.

"Well, putting that aside, what song are you going to write?" asked the smaller girl. She knew Luka also needed to write a new hit. Luka smiled.

"I already wrote it and sent it to Crypton" she had written it all through the night, the Saturday.

"Really? What's it called?"

"'Just be Friends'. Dedicated to Gakupo, the carefree moron he is" she replied with a smile. "And what about you?" Miku rubbed the back of her neck.

"I don't know, really. It's either a song or a music video for World's End Dancehall. I can't think of a music video, and music isn't coming to me these past days" she sighed.

Luka smiled at the girl as she thought. When Miku was being serious, she was utterly adorable.

And yet, something troubled the taller girl. Miku was missing a spark, almost. Whenever she was silent, her face fell. Whenever she smiled, a little something was missing.

And now, she said she didn't have a song. Something was amiss.

"Luka, I need to go to the library for a moment. Could you wait here?" Miku asked. Luka nodded, and watched the girl walk away.

What would she do at the library?

"I know that look" Luka almost jumped out of her skin. Turning around, she spotted Len smirking at her. She quickly regained her composure.

"What look?" Len leaned against the wall.

"I know a lot. Mostly because I can read emotions way better than most people do. I trained with my sis; we can read pretty much any singly face. And also, we recognize faces as well" Luka paled. Len smirked. "You like Miku Hatsune, don't you?"

He had two secrets. He knew both of her darkest secrets.

"Well, I have to admit, you two must play the game well. Nobody else knows. Besides that cute girl with the long blonde hair and the cell phone, and her friend. What was the name? Neru and Haku, right? They know" Luka couldn't answer. Len smiled and turned towards her. "It seems that I can now bend you to my will"

Luka tried not to give her fear away. She shook her head.

"I don't know what you mean" he raised his eyebrows.

"Sure you do, and you're pretty scared, too. I can read your face like I read a book" she didn't respond. "Ok, tell you what. I won't give away Miku. If she wants to hide, then sure. I have nothing personal against her. But you…" he walked over to her, looking at the girl with mean eyes. "You took away my fame. Do you know how disappointed my family was in me? They knew I would win, but you just had to appeal to the star. So, do what I want, or else a mean rumor about you is going to roam the school really quickly" Luka shivered. He was dead serious. But she couldn't ignore him. The last thing she wanted was Miku to know that she liked her.

"Fine, what do you want?" she choked out. He smiled triumphantly.

"Nothing for now, but I will tell you when there is something I desire" Luka grumbled, and walked away.

This was bad, really bad.

* * *

><p>Miku yelped when Luka grabbed her and pushed her into the bathroom she just came out of.<p>

"What is it Luka?"

"Len, the new boy, he knows that you are Miku" the girl blanched.

"What is he…?"

"Nothing, he won't tell anyone, but you got to know" Miku slammed her head against the wall.

"We aren't careful enough! People are discovering us left and right! Soon, the whole school will know!" Luka shushed her.

"Neru and Haku have promised, and they have nothing against us. But we must keep an eye on the boy, and probably his sister, too" Miku nodded.

"Yeah. You did defeat him at the contest, after all…" Luka sighed. "He might want revenge" with a nod, they exited the room, their heads clouded.

Miku was scared. So what he said was true…

* * *

><p>Luka stepped out of the recording room with a smile. Her song just finished recording, and now she wanted to go home.<p>

Two days ago, Len entered the school. He still hasn't menaced Luka with anything, but she was careful. He was always looking at them. Not to mention, Neru started being nasty with them as well, not making things better.

Luka wondered where Miku was. She was definitely here somewhere; she had seen her talking with her manager, right in front of his office.

She walked in the direction of said room. She might be able to ask him where she was.

She froze in her tracks. There was Len, speaking with the tall man. They seemed to be getting along pretty nicely. They were talking, sometimes Len would gesture a bit, but at the end the older man retired into the room. Len waited outside.

What was that boy doing here? And why was he speaking to Miku's manager? Luka's breath caught when Miku stepped out of the room. Her step seemed a little weak, but besides that, she seemed normal. Len told her something, to which she didn't answer.

What followed tore Luka to her core.

Len pushed her against the wall and kissed her.

Luka saw Miku squirm, struggle, but the boy held tight.

Luka felt tears coming to her eyes. This was probably the most horrible thing she had ever seen. She wanted it to stop, but she couldn't move. Her eyes wouldn't move away from the sight that was breaking her heart.

When Len pulled away, she ran off. Luka could see her tears take flight as she ran.

The taller girl hid in the bathroom, needing to collect her thoughts.

What was all this? Why was he here? Why did he do that? How long has this been going on?

Without thinking twice, she ran out of the building, going home. Luka felt the tears flooding her eyes. But she held them in.

* * *

><p>Luka didn't talk to Miku; she had no idea what to say.<p>

Miku was being the usual, slightly more silent then before version of herself. Talking every now and then to break the silence. Meiko and the two boys had realized Luka's new habit of being mute, and tried to cheer her up, but Luka pushed back their efforts.

Why didn't Miku tell her? Weren't they friends? Luka felt more tears coming.

Now Luka was sitting in the grass, trying to rid her head of that horrible memory. This was too much in one hit.

Luka didn't want to talk to anyone anymore. She felt empty, heartbroken. She was falling in a bottomless void, to tumble and turn forever and forever until she caught something.

"Looks like Miku doesn't trust her best friend" Luka caught her tears as she heard the taunting voice. But, he spoke the truth. "So why continue hanging with her if she doesn't trust you? Why continue loving her when you aren't even a true friend in her eyes?" Luka let one tear escape. "Here is my first request, Luka. Stay away from her, don't speak to her again" Luka slowly nodded. What the point in speaking to her anymore? The person she loved didn't even trust her to keep a secret.

She heard his steps fade. She let another tear escape. Then another. Then another.

Before long, she was crying.

* * *

><p>Neru scowled. This new kid was cute, to say the least.<p>

Yet, he only had eyes for Luka and Miku. He kept staring at them. For some reason, it made her blood boil.

She flipped open her phone, ignoring the messages. She was feeling bitter.

There was Len, whistling happily. Neru felt her palms get sweaty. She was too shy to talk to him, and not pretty enough for him to talk to her.

She let her phone fall in her pocket. He would never talk to her.

"Neru, right?" her head snapped up. There were his eyes, a deep blue. They were mysterious, playful, and dark. Yet, they were the brightest blue she had ever seen. She nodded weakly. "Would you like to hang out after school? We have no homework, and there are good movies running. Want to come?" What a charmer. She nodded again, and he smiled. "Great! I'll meet you at the school gates! And if Haku wants to come, tell her she's welcome!" she smiled. What a nice guy.

* * *

><p>Luka felt emptiness in her sleep. No dreams came to mind, only nightmares. Or rather memories. The terrible scene played over and over in her mind. And behind it, everything she and Luka had done together.<p>

Didn't Miku trust her? After everything, all that? She didn't believe that she could help with such a problem?

Luka felt her world become black and white. She was heartbroken. Nothing had taste, sound or feeling. Wood and cement felt the same to her touch; she could confuse sugar and salt. Black and white were exactly the same.

And she was getting lost in this sorrowful world. Since left was right and up was down, there was no point anymore in searching, trying to get better. Nothing was worth trying, everything was worth regretting.

The alarm made no sound, yet she woke up. She knew it was ringing. Her clothes had colors, but she didn't care if they matched or not. What was the point?

Eating was unimportant. School was a joke. Life was an adventure nobody made out alive of. What was the point in trying? They were all dying, anyway. So why try? What was the point?

There was none. Whatever effort that will be made will eventually die. There was no point.

When Miku walked up to her in the train, her world went from grey to black. She wore a smile, but Luka saw through it. Why smile, Miku? Why do you do so much effort for something that won't last? Why try? Why try to make something better if it will die one day?

Not saying a word, she turned around, and left the girl puzzled.

* * *

><p>Now the whole class was in a car, a big car, rather, on the way to the trail.<p>

The teacher had announced a day out for the class. They had been doing so well lately, that the teacher had asked the principal if he could reward them. Now, they were going to take a long walk through some hills and past some cliffs, the whole while walking over some huge forest.

The teacher's words were drowning into the air before they met Miku's ears.

She felt empty, sad. She had lost her last reason to live. Luka was ignoring her, not speaking or smiling.

But Miku knew what it was. Len. He was tearing her apart, he was tearing them apart. It all started because of him.

And now, Luka was somehow involved in the plot. Miku wanted to defend her, keep her safe, spare her. She loved her too much to get her involved into something that could jeopardize everything she had. And now, Luka was probably mad at her for not telling. Miku had tried to explain, but Luka's eyes were empty, emotionless. Miku knew she didn't hear anything, and saw nothing. Miku had been there.

When the class descended the vehicle, she saw Luka just walking onward, no goal in mind or destination planned. Miku looked away, and saw Len with an arm around Neru's shoulders. The two were cute together.

Len was actually and honestly a good guy. He was only mean with those who hurt him. The boy would be a great husband if he only reduced his ways of torture. Neru would be happy with him.

Rocks tumbled under her feet. Flowers gave away a sugary smell. The sky was a bright blue.

But Luka didn't see any of that. Why pay attention? All these people were unimportant. They will die one day, some leaving behind a mark, others not. But in the end, they will all be forgotten.

When everybody stopped, Luka leaned against the railing.

A deepness greeted her blind sight. Forest as far as the eye could see, a few hundred feet under her.

Luka knew this railing was old, she knew this place had been visited often.

She saw Miku lean against the same railing, a little further to her left. Luka didn't see her empty expression. She saw nothing. She didn't want to see anything.

"Luka?" the girl heard it, and yet she didn't. Everything sounded the same. "Luka, listen to me!" she turned her head, and saw Meiko's frustrated face.

Luka turned away again.

"Luka! For the love of deaf pigeons, listen!" Luka turned again, not caring about whatever she said. As long as she was left alone to die. "Luka, you can't continue like this! You have been acting strange since yesterday! And Hatsune, too. What has happened?" Luka turned away again, but answered with a slow voice,

"What is the point? Why tell you? You would forget, eventually. There's nothing worth doing" Meiko stared at her in disbelief. Did she really just say that? "Nothing will be remembered, everything will be forgotten. There is no use in trying"

"Luka, please look at me" Luka turned her head again. "What do you see?"

"Nothing. Gray, white, black. Nothing important, actually" Meiko realized with a sad face. She was deeply heartbroken. She saw nothing but what she wanted to see. She saw a world with no problems, no complications. She saw a simple world where nothing was important.

"Luka. Look harder" Luka squinted a little. "You see me, a friend. I will help you through everything, as friends do. Please" Luka shook her head.

"There is no point"

"There is. The point of taking advantage of the little life we have. If we live, it's for a reason. Not having fun during this short moment will be a regret, a shame. Saying that there's no point is a shame"

"Why have fun?" Luka looked at her with empty eyes. Meiko smiled.

"For the hell of it" Luka froze. For the hell of it? A flashback hit her in the head.

**_"I am really bad at such a game!" she mumbled. Miku grinned._**

**_"That's the fun of it! Just try, then you can leave knowing that didn't leave without a fight!" Luka sighed, but stepped forward. _**

**_She managed to get eight of the ten cans, getting a bunch of cheers from Miku and the others._**

The had happened less than a week before, right? It seems so long ago…

Luka looked around. Have fun, pay attention, live, all that effort, just because?

Why not? One person does only have one life.

A butterfly caught her eye. Orange. The wings were orange.

The grass was green. The breeze was fresh. The pollen filled the air.

Luka smiled weakly. Live, for the hell of it. Try, just because.

"Luka, you might want to see this" murmured a boy. The whole class turned around to see the car park on the trail. It had 'Crypton' written on the side. The windows were tinted, just like with the limos.

"What does Crypton want now?" wondered Luka, still very down, just a bit better. A least she wasn't blind, but that wasn't the most important, now. She had given her song, and it was to be published in a few days. Why would they come all the way here?

Steve walked out of the van, and Luka's eyes widened. He wasn't going to speak to Miku now, right?

Already there were whispers about why Miku's bodyguard was here. Luka looked at the girl for the first time in days. She looked appalled, and…frightened.

Steve walked up to the smaller girl, making the class fall silent.

"Hatsune, can you please come with me? Dorian wants to see you" Luka's eyes widened when Miku took a quick step back, her hands shaking.

"No! I'm not coming!" her voice was filled with fear. Luka watched as the scene continued.

"Hatsune, if you do not cooperate, then I'll use drastic measures" Miku took another step back, holding her hands in front of her, as if to protect herself. Now she seemed to be trembling violently, everywhere on her body. She was utterly afraid.

Luka was appalled. What was Miku so afraid of? More secrets she didn't tell? Luka wondered. What happened with Len must not have anything to do with Dorian, right?

"No! Whatever you will do, I'm not coming with you!"

Then she remembered; he was watching the whole scene play right in front of his eyes. He must have a hand in this.

"Alright, then" spoke the gorilla of a man, taking out a small object. Luka recognized it immediately.

"No!" she threw herself on the man, but he shook her off quickly, making her fall on the small rocks. Luka winced when she felt her elbows open.

"Luka!" the man grabbed Miku by the neck, making her open her mouth. He quickly made her swallow the small pill.

Miku staggered backwards, clutching her throat, tears coming to her eyes. Steve quickly took his gloved hands and ran them through her hair. Luka watched with wide eyes as she rose from the ground. Her elbows were bleeding, but she didn't care.

"Get off her!" she yelled, trying to stop the man. But he just kicked her away.

"What are you doing?" she yelled.

"Orders are orders!" Luka looked at him, non-believing what was happening.

Now Miku stood there, against the railing, clutching her throat, teal hair waving in the wind. Luka was having a nightmare. This wasn't happening.

She failed to help Miku protect her secret.

Luka felt the world crumble as whispers emerged from the class. The tall man held out his hand towards the smaller diva.

"Hatsune Miku, will you now come with me?" Luka was scared she was going to accept, and scared that she was going to decline.

With wide eyes, she shook her head, covering her mouth with her hands. She tried to take another step back, but met the railing.

"Miku, come with me, now" she shook her head.

Luka had enough. This world was ending. This following her heartbreak so shortly was terrible on her.

She felt guilt. She was unable to protect the girl she loved.

She had no idea why all this was happening, but she had enough.

"Don't touch her!" she yelled, and stepped in front of the girl. She glared with her most burning hatred in the man's direction. "If you lay a hand on her, then I swear, you will regret it!" she yelled it loud, so that the world will hear. He didn't flinch.

"Please move aside"

"Never!"

"Luka…" Miku's whisper was pleading, but Luka didn't move.

"I will never let you harm her any more then you all already did! She's broken enough!" there must have been something happening, far worse than the day she saw Len attack her. Her silence, her missing spark, the missing inspiration.

She didn't go to the library the other day, she went to the bathroom. When Luka had dragged her in there, Miku was just getting out, wiping her mouth. There were traces of tears on her face.

Luka didn't pay close enough attention, she was blinder then she was a few moments before. She wasn't able to gain Miku's absolute trust because she wasn't even able to see what was happening in front of her.

Luka remembered her flinches, when she grabbed her skirt. Every time, she was, or had just been with…

Dorian.

Steve took no attention to her words, and swung with his hand.

He hit Luka on the shoulder, hard. Then, the world went down into slow motion.

Luka's scraped elbow hit something, and a deafening crack rang through the air. Luka took a step back.

Right in the place where Miku should have been.

Turning around, pieces of wood flying through the air, Luka saw Miku's form plunge over the edge of the cliff.

Her heart stopped.

Only one action came to her mind.

She jumped after her.

The girl was flailing, plunging down to the ground. The railing fell next to her, turning, tumbling. Only one destination existing; downward.

Luka felt the wind pass by her face, wiping her eyes and howling in her ears. She grabbed her beloved's hand, and pulled her into a tight embrace.

She had failed to keep her a secret. She had failed her love. She wasn't good enough to be trusted by the diva, she wasn't good enough for her to confide her secrets.

And so, she shall cease being a burden.

Luka looked into Miku's eyes, and smiled. Two eyes widened when Miku realized.

"LUKA!"

Meiko stared in absolute shock. What had just happened? Did they just, did she just…

There was no doubt, nobody could survive that. They were as dead as a door. Meiko panted heavily and leaned forward.

They were dead, dead! Gone from the world, erased from life. Obliterated form the globe.

Gone, never to come back. Meiko felt tears come to her eyes. She realized a fact, the murderer was still here. She stood straight, hatred on her eyes.

"You…" she pointed at the man. The gorilla was backing away from where they had died. From where he had killed them. His eyes were wide under their glasses. "You killed them!" she yelled, tears flowing freely. The sorrow was replaced by rage, coming up from her stomach to her head.

She had known both of them for such a long time…and now they were gone, gone!

"You killed them you bastard!" Meiko wanted to lunge at the man, but Kaito held her back. She knew it was him because of the warmth his touch gave her. She felt his tears fall on her shoulder. She froze, but continued glaring, panting like a wild dog.

She kept glaring at the man, the teacher's call for her to calm down futile. She couldn't move, but she felt like she was swirling ion a pool of sorrow.

"You killed them!" the man ran away, and left in his car. Meiko wished Kaito would let her go, she needed to lie down. She felt sick.

"Meiko…"

"They're dead…!" she couldn't yell anymore, the feeling of emptiness came over.

"Meiko, did you see?"

"They're gone…" she fell in a whirl of despair. Her friends, her companions…gone.

"Did you see?" demanded the boy. She could only nod.

"I saw…" but the detail was of almost no importance right now.

"We all saw! Hatsune was Miku! But I don't care! They are dead, that's the important thing!" she stood up, and ran towards the edge of the scene, escaping Kaito's embrace.

Nothing. Trees covered the two bodies that must be laying there, broken and bloodied.

"Gone…" this forest was impossible to search. Wild animals filled the bushes, dangerous birds hunted in the trees. The trees were too tall for any helicopter to reach, and the cliffs too dangerous to climb down. Meiko closed her eyes. Her throat hurt, her eyes stung. One word crept out of her mouth, slow and agonizing.

"Gone!"


	7. The Fears Of The Forest

Meiko, Kaito and Gakupo sat in the train. The whole world now knew. Everybody had seen the news report, everybody had heard the radio, everybody had read the papers.

The all-time famous undercover Hatsune Miku, and the newest success Megurine Luka, were dead. Last seen plunging together down a cliff to their ends.

The shock of knowing that the famous Miku had been at their school was rough for only a day. But everybody quickly realized the truth. She was shy, always refused to speak, never looked at a person in the eye. How did they not see the resemblance? And Luka knew the whole time…

Meiko rested her head on her fist as the train clattered along.

Miku and Hatsune were the same person.

Everything re-played in her head. It only made sense. There was no denying it.

But their deaths impacted the world far worse. Nobody knew exactly why Miku was so terrified. All the witnesses said that her bodyguard demanded her to come to Crypton, and she refused vividly. The man then unmasked her, despite Luka's efforts. Then, they fell. The idiot of a guy pushed them over the edge.

Well, he pushed Luka, who pushed Miku. Luka fell after her. Why? She then remembered a conversation Miku and Luka once had.

**_"Luka, are you sure that you want to be with me rather than with your old friends? I mean, now…" she didn't finish her sentence. Luka grinned._**

**_"If they truly were my friends, they would have followed me. Real friends go to the death together!" to that, Hatsune just smiled widely._**

Were the two divas that much attached to each other? Rather die than face life without the other?

Most of the school was shocked, but the most shaken were Luka's old friends, Neru, Haku, and surprisingly, Len. When he saw the two plunge down, for the next two days he was going mad, and he kept saying things like how it was his fault. He still didn't go to school a full week after the incident.

Apparently, Neru and Haku had known of their secret. They had explained how they had figured them out, and why they supported her secret. She had no idea why Miku feared popularity that much, but Luka knew, for sure.

Even the Crypton crew came over. All those who had worked with the two. Their managers, their crew and even Miku's bodyguard, who was at first coldly received.

They said that they were inseparable. They did everything together. They wrote songs together, they did music videos together, they sung together. Whenever they walked through the halls, they were side-by-side. They took the same limos home, at the same lunches, and did their homework.

Everybody was astonished at their proximity.

But, the shock still remained, and questions were still left unanswered. And the only ones with the answers were dead at the foot of a cliff.

Sure, there was as much searching done as possible. Luka's parents demanded they had their daughter's body, at the very least. But nobody dared climb down the rock or trek through the forest no matter the reward; the road was too long, and so many dangers filled the forest. Helicopters were interrupted by trees and the hell birds who sat in them, nearly crashing two machines.

They were unreachable.

They were greatly missed, a gap filled the globe. Luka's last song, 'Just Be Friends', was published as a memorial, and when they saw on the original script that it was dedicated to Gakupo, he started sobbing uncontrollably.

They didn't dare enter or open Miku's household. Her manager said that besides her and himself, only Luka knew is its emplacement. He forbade entry to the apartment, saying that Miku didn't want anybody to know where it was, until she gave her consent. Seeing she was dead, and there was no consent anywhere, the entry was the last thing he would permit.

A whole group of students had formed a club at their school. It had a site on the internet, and millions of people were joining her hour. From it, more clubs formed, and each was getting more and more popular. Some were called the 'Luka and Miku' club, others 'Luka x Miku forever!', some 'Good riddance, L and M!'.

They were now so much more popular than they were before. Their albums sold at record speeds, more products were demanded, and Crypton was getting full pockets.

Luka's parents were devastated. They didn't want any money any more, and hated Miku with their souls. They said that it was her fault that their dear daughter was dead. They wanted no connection with Crypton, and didn't speak with anybody having to do with them.

Meiko felt a tear fall on her knee. They really were gone.

"Meiko?" she sighed at the boy's voice. It was thanks to Luka that she had met this boy. This incredible blue-haired ice-brain. "Are you ok, Meiko?"

"No" she croaked. He was being so kind.

"You haven't made a joke since… Well, that doesn't help. I need to hear you laugh" she looked up at him.

"Please, don't talk about it"

"I'm just trying to make you feel better" he looked disappointed. She smiled sadly.

"I know, but you're not really helping, to be bluntly honest" he frowned.

"We are all sad and shocked, but-" she couldn't help it, he really was trying his best. He was being so kind, but she wanted him to be quiet.

So she kissed him lightly. Red as a tomato, he didn't say a word.

"Thanks for trying, Kaito, really. But please, don't speak about it" he nodded.

Silence fell back on this empty, cold world.

* * *

><p>The birds flew around. The wind was getting colder as the day fell away. Calling out together, they landed in a clearing.<p>

A heap of blood and hair lay in the grass. Teal mixed with pink, two pairs of arms enlaced two immobile bodies, covered in blood.

A bird called out hoarsely, and approached the two corpses.

Yet he didn't dare come close. Those things weren't really dead yet. They didn't smell dead.

Or, at least, one didn't.

It called again, and started pulling on a piece of clothing, trying to tear it off. There was nothing else to eat.

A different bird called. The first turned around, protesting with his scratchy voice. A few others stood behind the second one. The first lowered his head.

The whole flock flew forward, and started pecking at the two bodies.

A groan filled the clearing.

All birds flew away, protesting loudly. The first bird would have smiled if he could. He knew they weren't dead.

With a light heart, he flew away.

"Where…" the girl nearly coughed. Her throat felt so dry, it felt like sand.

Her bones felt heavy, they groaned in protest. Her muscles were well-rested, but frozen in place.

"Why…" she tried to get up. Her head felt cloudy, she couldn't remember a single thing. It was so cold…

Something crunched faintly. The girl lifted her hand, feeling her shoulders' and elbow's bones grind in their sockets. Her frozen fingers were covered in something dry, who crumbled away slightly when she moved.

She tried sitting up, but her back protested vividly.

Coughing, she realized she needed something to drink. She couldn't remember anything.

A small sound of trickling caught her ear.

She grabbed the grass, and pulled, dragging herself forward. Her arms protested, and the dry thing on her fingers fell away in the grass.

The girl felt herself roll off something, but she didn't pay mind. She was so thirsty…

Another handful of grass, another pull.

She was so heavy…

With another grunt, she pulled more. And again, and again. The trickling was louder, now. Another handful, another pull.

How long has she been dragging herself, now? In any case, it was now completely dark, and bushes were scratching her sides and clothes.

Her hand landed in freezing water. Whatever covered her fingers fell away.

She cupped her hand. The water reflected her face.

Two big, tired eyes. Scratches covered her cheeks. Tears left their marks and her forehead was creased. Teal hair fell on her forehead, messy and greasy.

She groaned, not knowing how she got in this state. What happened? She was too tired to think clearly…

She gulped the water, and felt her throat rejuvenate. She opened her eyes more.

It was just barely nighttime, she knew that, now. This was a river, a slightly wide one at that, deep in the middle. Pebbles surrounded the banks, and bushes blocked everything from sight.

How far was she form where she started?

She quickly forgot that, and raised her second hand to take another drink.

Blood. Blood covered her fingers. One thought came to mind; it wasn't hers.

She had no big cuts. This amount of blood didn't come from her. Then, who…?

She shook her head, an ache emerging under her skull. She couldn't think. Yet, she knew something important was happening.

She drank more and more, filling her stomach with the freezing liquid.

She managed to sit up, and look at herself.

A trail of blood ran down the side of her legs, and on her side. Yet, she wasn't wounded.

She wiped away the blood, and looked around.

A shiver ran up her spine. Maybe drinking so much cold water wasn't such a good idea.

A trail led through the thick bushes. That was from where she arrived.

Standing up, she kept balance on a tree. Her legs felt week, fragile.

She took a careful step forward, and felt relieved that her legs held. Another step, and another, each gradually growing stronger. Her knees groaned every time her for landed on the ground.

The bushes suddenly vanished, leaving place to a large, rocky wall. She looked up. The top seemed so far away.

Taking another step forward, her foot met something hard. A long piece of wood. The two ends seemed split, and it was almost broken through the middle.

She stepped over it, and continued following the path she made.

She turned around a turn in the rock, and looked around.

A peaceful clearing. If there was the sun, then it would have been a perfect pick nick place. There were small flowers here and there, more smaller pieces of wood, and a body.

Her forehead creased more. What was that, who was that?

She stepped forward, and kneeled next to the body. Pink hair covered the features, and blood ran down her back, down her legs, and into the grass.

Miku nearly choked, memories flooding back into her head.

Sneers, pond, cries, frowns, songs, camp, kiss, Len, car, Steve, Luka…

Luka.

Luka, falling, falling…

Miku stood up, and panicked. What was Luka doing here? What was she…

She had saved her. She had put herself under her so that she would break the fall for her.

The blood was from her back, where she had first made contact with the hard ground. The scratches were from the trees as they fell past them.

Miku's breathing became ragged. Was Luka…

She dragged the girl to the side of the wall, and sat her against it.

Her face seemed so serene, not pained at all. Her eyes were closed, scratched covered her whole body, and her hair was messy as well. She was covered in blood.

Miku didn't know what to do, her mind felt numb.

Another shiver ran up her spine as wind flew along the wall. Miku knew one thing, they were both ice cold. They absolutely needed to warm up.

Miku ran to where she had found the stick, now known as the stupid railing, but it proved to be hard to find in this darkness.

When she stubbed her toe on it again, she dragged it back to where Luka lay. She departed again, only to come back half an hour later.

She let go of the pile of wood, and let it clatter on the ground. She piled it up, putting rocks around the pile.

There, she was ready for a campfire. But how to light it?

She knew she could create a fire with friction, but she was too tired to do that. A long, thin stick caught her eye.

She bent it, and it didn't break. Like the kind of wood for a bow.

Another stick, long and thin, but nearly not as thin as the first, and it was sturdy. The board, or railing.

She struck the railing with the more solid stick, causing a dent.

Grabbing some dried leaves she had found some way further, she put them right next the board. She spotted her belt. It was a cord, rather than a belt. Perfect.

The whole idea pieced itself together in her head automatically, without doing any effort of thinking. She attacked the two ends of her belt on the two ends of the more flexible stick, creating a bow. She twisted the thicker stick in the rope, and stuck it in the small dent in the railing. With a piece of bark, she held it upright at the top, and started pushing and pulling with the bow, much like a saw. The movement made the longer stick turn quickly, and fast sparks started to fly. They lit the leaves, and Miku quickly stuck them under the pile of wood.

In ten minutes, a roaring campfire lit the dark night.

Now that Miku was warm, even more tired than before, and not in the immediate need for anything, but she was still unable to think.

Luka's face was pale, Miku quickly realized. And she was covered in blood.

The girl sighed, she had no idea what to do. She couldn't think, the idea for the fire was spontaneous, she had no idea what to do next.

Where was she? Under a cliff, that was for sure. But she didn't even know where the cliff was. North or south from the city? She didn't see anything on her way here, she was lost in her thoughts.

And why did Luka help her, to the point of jumping down with her? She was all depressed and down, living in a colorless world. What woke her up so quickly? Somebody must have spoken to her.

Miku froze, the whole class was there! They must have all seen…

For some reason, she didn't feel the terror she expected. She was just too confused, not enough details were provided. She knew that the class knew who she was, and that she was now stuck here with a dead-ish Luka.

She didn't know the date, the time, her location.

And she felt oddly calm about it.

Miku shrugged it all away, and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Luka's parents walked along the trail.<p>

It was eight days after their daughter walked here. She didn't seem too happy the days before. She wouldn't speak or listen. Her eyes weren't lit, as if the house was occupied, but the lights weren't on.

The came to the cliff. The breeze flew over the bare rock. The missing part of railing caught their eyes.

What witnesses said, the whole class was more to the right, while Miku was more towards the left. Luka was speaking with her oldest friend, Meiko, when a van from Crypton rode up the path. They uncovered Miku, and Luka tried to stop it from happening. Then, by an unclear way, they both pushed past the barrier and fell to their deaths.

The two adults, fear and tears in their eyes, looked over the edge. The five hundred foot fall greeted their eyes.

Nothing, like the brunette had said. Nothing but forest.

Holding hands, clutching each other tightly, they walked home, not bearing being able to stay here any longer.

It was all Miku's fault. That cheery girl had stolen their daughter.

What the two adults didn't see was the slight cave-in at the foot of the cliff.

Miku lay there, huddled up, next to a dying fire.

She opened her eyes. The sun greeted her, as did her rumbling stomach.

It took her a moment to remember, then the full weight of the situation wacked her skull.

Luka was…

She glanced at her nonmoving body. She was pale, and bloodied. The high contrast of the white and red scared Miku.

She ran to the river with stars in her eyes from getting up so quickly, and tore her sleeve without hesitation. She bedded the fabric with large leaves, and dipped the makeshift bag in the river, filling it with water.

For Luka, Miku would do anything. Anything for her love, her last reason to live.

She dragged the small amount of water to the campsite, and rested the bag between her knees, in such a way that the water wouldn't spill.

She washed Luka's face, pushing away stray hair.

Her face was cold and expressionless. Miku's gut clenched. Was Luka…?

She shook her head, and rinsed her hands.

Where was the blood coming from?

Miku rested the water against the wall, supporting it with two pieces of wood from the last night's fire. She turned over the taller girl, and blanched.

Her back was dark red and brown. Miku carefully pulled up the shirt, and turned into a human sheet.

Her upper back was completely open. Blood was still dripping from the huge wound.

Miku started trembling, shaking. She was never able to bear scary scenes, and this was way too much to handle.

But this was Luka…

Miku, with trembling fingers removed Luka's shirt. She didn't dare look upon the girl other than on the wounds. With wet hands, she started cleaning around the wound, starting with the trails, and slowly washing closer and closer to the actual opening.

The skin was gradually getting yellow with infection. Miku had no idea how long they were just lying there, but long enough for this wound to get bad enough.

She washed away the most blood she dared, trying not to hurt the girl or invade her privacy. Just touching her this way hurt Miku. But it was for her own good…

Miku then leaned Luka in the grass, on her side. She needed to clean the shirt before putting it back on.

Ripping off her other sleeve, she temporarily covered the wound.

She ran to the river, and washed the bloody shirt. When she returned, she used the same bow as the previous evening to restart the fire. She lay the shirt close by, and turned to the unconscious girl.

Her barely covered body from the waist up reflected the fire. The small droplets made tiny little reflections of the flames, making her body seem eerie.

Miku took off the temporary bandage and dried her off, still with eyes half-closed. She then wrapped the sleeve around her shoulders to protect the wound, having no other way to wrap it up.

The shirt dried quickly, and Miku dressed Luka again.

Now Luka looked slightly better with a cleaner shirt. Her pants were only slightly stained, so Miku didn't have to remove those, much to her relief.

She slowly combed through Luka's hair straitening it out, and removing the branches collected from the fall.

Miku walked to the river, feeling thirsty. She brought the makeshift bag.

Miku hydrated herself and looked at the cloth with leaves. It was barely waterproof.

Undoing the seam at the end of the sleeve and the bottom of her shirt, she was able to assemble quite a bit of thread. She grinned.

The girl returned to camp, and searched the firewood for a good splinter. Finding one, she knotted the thread around the end, and got to work.

An hour later, she was able to make and pretty good bag. Made out of her sleeve, leaves and grass, it held back a sufficient amount of water.

She looked at Luka, still as immobile.

Miku knew she would wake up eventually, and they would get out of this forest together.

Sighing, she got up and decided to search for things to eat.

* * *

><p>A month. Meiko looked at her calendar, and felt her eyes sting.<p>

It has been one month since the singing duo had toppled over the edge of the cliff. A full month.

Crypton was holding a memorial at the edge of the forest. A bit of that never-ending jungle actually came to the edges of the city, so they held the memorial there. They also had two graves put there, with their names on them. Side by side, just like when they died.

School was getting depressing. There was no life there anymore. Even the teachers seemed down. A whole lot has changed, and a bunch of people managed to move on. Neru started dating Len, and Meiko went out with Kaito. But nobody was able to forget. Sometimes Len would start spontaneously sobbing in the middle of the class, saying it was his fault. Neru would comfort him, and sometimes cry with him.

Every week, Meiko, Kaito and Gakupo went to the last place they saw them. They made prayers to their lost friends, and leaved. They weren't able to do anything else but pray.

Meiko felt tears come to her eyes. Already a month had passed, a full month. Thirty days! Thirty empty days…

Even if they survived the fall, everybody would say without hesitation that they would be dead by now. They're deader the they were.

* * *

><p>Miku winced when caws from those huge black birds woke her up, again.<p>

"Go away! Leave her alone!" Miku screamed, getting up and waving her favorite stick around.

She had no idea how long it has been No idea at all. But she had changed.

Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was tied up in a really messy bun behind her head. Now, her shirt was torn to above her stomach and her jeans torn up to her knees.

The days started normal and repetitive at fist. Miku would get up, get water, search for anything other than bark and grass to eat, give Luka some water, tend to the fire, and fall back asleep.

But when birds started collecting around Luka when Miku wasn't awake, things changed. Miku lost her assurance, and went more wild then she ever had.

She was famished, and made a spear. She killed a dear or whatever it was one day, and ate what she got, cooked over a fire. She needed new bandages for Luka, and threw out the old ones. The birds came back every day, insisting what Miku denied.

She still didn't know if Luka was really dead. She was terrified at the idea of checking her pulse, and finding none. She was scared she lost the reason she was waiting through this hell. No clean water, no spare clothes, no food that she didn't have to kill for. No berries grew here, and wild animals came every now and then.

Miku didn't think anything over. She didn't care what happened in the outside world, or why anything before happened. The only thing that counted was the girl that wouldn't wake up.

"She's alive, I'm telling you! Alive!" yelled the savage girl at the birds, waving with her spear.

She sighed, and walked towards waterproof bag number three. The first two both gave away one day, but Miku was happy she still had enough thread to make more.

She rinsed her face, calming down a little. But as long as Luka wouldn't wake up, she knew she would be stuck like this. Desperate, almost no hope left. Kill or be killed mode.

A snapping twig caught her attention. She gripped her weapon. If those birds had caught the attention of some other wild animal, then Miku was going to kill something.

Literally.

She stood in front of Luka protectively. If anything was going to eat the tall girl, then it would be over her dead body.

She didn't flinch when a bear appeared. It sniffed around, then looked at her.

"Hello, bear" she said, voice hoarse and dry, barely recognizable. She spent her nights and days crying, and sometime screaming. Sometimes to keep animals away, sometimes out of agony, out of sheer loneliness. Luka's immobile body was taunting her in her sleep.

"Don't step further, if you want to keep your coat" she meant every word she said. She had gone mad, crazy.

The bear looked at her. She stood taller. Size meant strength in the animal kingdom.

It grunted, and took a few steps forward. Miku held her spear tighter, fearless.

It roared, all of a sudden, and left. Miku relaxed, but never completely.

With a careful expression, she sat back down, next to the girl she loved. Who was probably dead.

She looked at her pale, perfect face. Not once had the smaller girl touched her. She didn't dare hurt her friend in either way.

Yet she felt so lonely. She was all alone, in a huge, dangerous forest, barely surviving and famished most of the time, and all Luka would do was lie there. It was driving her insane.

Miku felt guilt every time she looked at her face. If she had told her, or anything else, this wouldn't have happened. Then Luka would be more alive than she was now.

And yet, Miku had no idea if she was dead or not. She didn't dare check.

Miku rose and headed to the river.

She walked quickly, not wanting to let animals touch the unconscious girl. She felt like a savage, guarding a treasure.

Relieved Luka was still there at her return, Miku quickly gave her some water. Gently tilting back her head, and making her swallow. That was the only time she made any sort of contact with the sleeping girl.

Miku put the bag down and tended to the fire. It hadn't went out since the second lonely day in this mad world. She made sure of that.

The girl looked at her friend through the flames. How she craved to see somebody else other than herself, hear anybody else then her own dry, raspy voice. She felt tears coming to her red eyes.

"Luka, when will you wake up?" she whimpered, tears falling down silently. "When will you help me out of this? When will you talk to me?" Nothing. No reaction. Miku gulped with difficulty. "Luka, when will you smile again? When will you sing? When will you laugh, joke, and talk again? When will you look around with your perfect eyes? When will you help me out of this hell?" she continued ranting for five minutes, tears falling down in the grass.

With a shaking hand, she took her cell phone from her pocket. It's battery was empty when Miku woke up, she had forgotten to turn it off the morning before this whole thing begun. And besides, was there any connection in this lost corner of the globe? She couldn't find a phone in Luka's pockets.

The two butterflies caught her attention. Those were the last objects she owned. A pink butterfly, and a blue butterfly, hanging on a chain.

Her tears fell on the small objects. Why was this happening?

Without being able to stop herself, the sad, tired girl fell asleep.

Her dreams were worse than her consciousness. Luka's body was floating in her mind, her consciousness telling she wouldn't wake up, ever. The birds, craving for some of their meat, craving for their deaths. The dangers that walked out of the forest, smelling whatever Miku managed to kill or attracted by the birds. The fire that she couldn't let die, that water she had to bring to her love.

If Luka never woke up, then Miku would have lost her last reason to live. Dorian was terrible, work was useless. She had no family, and only a few friends she barely knew.

If Luka never woke up, or if Miku finally dared to check her dead pulse, then Miku would end at the tip of her own spear.

* * *

><p>Her bones ached, her muscles throbbed. Her back stung.<p>

What was happening? Why was she hurting so much?

She opened her eyes, closing them immediately. He light was so bright…what was that, a fire? She opened them again, slowly this time.

Grass, trees, fire. That was it. What was happening here? Was this some joke?

A bird swooped down over her. It was large and black, and had two scary, endless eyes. More followed immediately.

She wanted to get up, but for some reason, she couldn't. Those birds were looking at her with their deep orbs. She blinked. Nope, not a dream.

What was she doing here?

Feeling a little tired, she decided to fall back to sleep.

_Van, Steve, colorless world, failure, railing cracking, giving away, forest, hands, wind._

_"LUKA!" the call rang through her head. They continued falling, falling._

_She felt her skin prickle painfully, as if a crab were pinching her. Who was that?_

_"LUKA!" the call continued again. The pinching continued. Who was that? _

_Blue eyes, long blue hair. The most beautiful person she ever met. Who was that?_

_"When will you wake up, Luka? When will you smile again? When will you sing?" the voice rang through her head. Raspy, dry, but still the most beautiful noise ever. Who was that?_

_The pinching started making her cry, yet it didn't hurt that bad, right? Who was that? _

_"When will you help me get out of this hell?" who was that?_

_Miku. Hatsune. Hatsune Miku. The diva, the loser. _

_The girl she loved. _

_More pinching. _

_A yell rang through her head. _

_"LUKA!"_

She opened her eyes.

Bird were everywhere, pinching and poking at her arms, legs.

She couldn't move, didn't feel anything else but fright. Why were they poking at her like she was dead?

Dead… falling, tumbling, a call.

"Leave her alone!" she would have jumped, if she could have. "She's alive, I'm telling you! Leave her goddamn alone!" Two long, skinny, scratched legs came into her view. The birds flew away. What was happening?

"She's alive!" the last bird departed with a loud 'caw'. Who…? "She's alive…"

She wanted to ask who whoever this person was talking about, and where she was.

All that came out was a low, pathetic sigh.

She froze. She couldn't move, not even her head. She couldn't yell. Her eyes widened to their maximum capacity, meaning not much anymore.

"Uh!" she tried making the loudest sound possible, but her throat and vocal chords wouldn't help. "Uh!" nothing more.

The person didn't hear her. She was just standing there, hands trembling. She wanted this person to help her, fear was devouring her mind.

"Uh!" her throat started aching. She wanted to attract this person's attention but couldn't. Nothing worked. Not her arms, legs, or even mouth. What replaced them was a constant numbness. How many fingers did she still have? Was her arm bent or not?

Feeling more fear devour her mind, she looked at the stranger.

Her clothes were torn, she knew that even when she wasn't facing her. Her jeans were ripped up to her thighs, and her shirt was seamless, almost destroyed. Her long, messy hair was help up in a bun. Teal hair…

Miku.

Luka now remembered everything in perfect detail. Trying to sit up, she wanted to wince when her back stung more.

She wanted to call out her name, say that she was ok, but she couldn't.

How long she was here, she had no idea. But Miku was in bad shape. Luka now knew what those voices where. Miku was talking to her, wanting her to wake…

And she didn't. She continued to sleep like a moron.

Moron…

Gakupo, Meiko, Kaito. The whole reality crushed on the girl's chest. It terrified her.

"Miku!" she wanted to say, but it came out as another sigh. She felt hopeless, unable to fend for herself. "Miku!" only sighs came out of her throat.

Miku tensed, and slowly looked around. Did she hear her? The girl called out again, as loud as possible.

Miku didn't hear her. Instead, she sat down on the other side of the fire.

The girl studied her friend's features. She looked like a mess, in a few short words. Now, the girl wanted to let her friend know she was alive so badly, she managed another sigh, sounding more like a groan. Miku looked up, and gazed right into her eyes.

"L…Luka?" Luka would have smiled, but she couldn't. "Luka…? Are you…" Luka sighed again, trying to say her friend's name.

Miku stood up, a smile on her face, and sat right in front of the pink-haired girl.

"You're alive!" she said, tears coming to her eyes. "I can't believe it! You're alive!" she started laughing in pure joy, her hands started trembling. "How are you feeling?" Luka wanted to say that she felt great, besides her back, but not a word formed on her lips. Miku frowned. "Can…can't you move?" Luka blinked twice, wanting to say no.

Miku frowned, and more tears started spilling. Her eyes widened, realization filling them like water filled a glass.

"It's my fault! If it weren't for me…"

So many things were happening in Luka's mind. She was terribly confused. All she knew was that she was alone with a wild-looking Miku who was happy she was alive, that she couldn't move, and that the last thing she remembered was tumbling down a cliff. She tried to groan again to catch Miku's attention. Now the girl was sobbing, almost, and Luka couldn't do anything.

"Miku, please explain" she tried, but it came out as a long, raspy sigh. Miku looked at her.

"I think I need to explain a few things…" she wiped her eyes. "Are you thirsty?" Luka blinked once. She did feel a little thirsty. Miku got up, and picket up something that seemed to made out of her jeans and some leaves. How long had they been staying here?

She came back a few moments later, the pouch filled with water. Miku sat next to Luka, who still hadn't moved, not the slightest bit.

"Here…" she lifted the pouch to Luka's mouth, but Luka still couldn't move. Miku winced, her eyes filling once more. "You can only blink, right?" Luka blinked in answer. Tears poured again out of Miku's eyes. "Ok… I'll help" she opened the girl's mouth and helped her drink with such precaution that Luka started wondering if she were transformed into some porcelain doll. Miku was handling her so gently…it warmed her heart.

"There…better?" Luka blinked again. Miku sighed, and sat next to the girl, tears still pouring out of her eyes.

"I have a hell of a story to tell you. It will take a long time. You want to hear it?" Luka blinked again when Miku looked in her direction. She really needed some answers.

"Ok…let's see…

It started at the contest. Right after the contest, to be precise. The first time I was separated from you. Dorian asked me why I chose you, and not Len. I said that it was because you could sing, but he saw through my eyes. I didn't lie, to be truthful. You did really sing better than him. But apparently, I know this now, I was supposed to be charmed by my manager's nephew. Len was apparently in love with me for years. He was so cute, I was going to be charmed by his shota-ness, and choose him. But it didn't work, for one reason. I-" she hesitated for a full minute. "I already liked somebody else. So, he failed and lost. He was terribly disappointed, and right after I won the bet, Dorian started acting weird. He would talk smoothly with me, suggest things, but it didn't get out of hand at first. After a few days, he went further. He…undressed me, sometimes, but never did anything really, really bad. He kept saying that I was disgusting, to like somebody like that, and that I should stop seeing that person. I always refused staying away from the person I liked, though. At first I was confused, but when Len came into our class, I understood. They wanted to separate us. By imposing Len and trying to convince me to stay away from my crush, they thought that you would leave eventually, and be replaced by Len. But, I held on. I saw you were happy with your new career, so I didn't stay away. I liked being with you. I didn't want to tell you anything, though. If I told you, then it would have gotten you fired. By myself, I tried to talk Dorian and Len out of their act, but they refused. The day you started ignoring me, it hurt. I lost pretty much my only reason to live. You were cold, distant. I knew how you felt, it was exactly how I was when Dorian first touched me. But I didn't want you to see, so I kept smiling. When we went on the hike, so many days ago, I was terrified. When the van pulled up, I knew it was going to be Dorian. I didn't need to hear his name. Steve had nothing to do in all this. He's a victim of the plan, just like you. But that day ,when Steve was going to push me in that car, I was sure Dorian was going to…do something really, really bad. Every time he went further, but I was sure that day it was going to be the final step. I flipped, and you protected me. I was surprised, but now I think Meiko talked to you. Then, Steve pushed you, pushing me, sending us tumbling down right here. We've been here since, how many days ago"

Luka was wide-eyed, feeling rage and a bit of jealousy.

Why would Dorian do such things? And the plan didn't even make sense! Why attack Miku and her crush if she was the one they wanted to chase? It seemed as if Miku read the question in her eyes. She seemed as if was going to choke before she spoke.

"I liked you, Luka. They thought that if they forced me enough, that would cause me to chicken out, wanting it to stop, and chase you. Then, because of my sorrow from your departure, I would quit. Then, Len would be number one"

Luka was wide-eyed. She liked her? Miku looked away.

"I know, liking a girl is wrong, but…I can't help it, I guess…" Luka felt as if she could explode from joy. She wanted to tell the girl she liked her as well, thank her for taking care of her for such a long time, for being such a good person.

"Luka just so you know…I always trusted you. You were always the best friend I could have. I never once doubted you. If you want to leave just because I like you, then as long as you're happy, fine by me" Luka felt tears come in her eyes. All her problems were solved, her world was now clear and sunny.

Only she couldn't move the slightest inch, or make any loud sound whatsoever.

She blinked twice, making sure Miku saw.

"No? No what?" Luka wanted to tell her she wanted to stay by her side. But, she couldn't.

"No, you want to stay with me, or no, something else?" Luka blinked once, saying first option. Miku smiled. "Thanks, Luka"

A cracking sound was heard, and Miku reacted faster than Luka could see.

Miku's eyes widened, her stance evened, her shoulders widened, her knees bent. She was in the perfect pose to attack or defend. Luka wondered what put her in such a state, how many days of staying here alone would have tortured Miku in such a way.

Once again, it was as if Miku read Luka's mind.

"This place is creeping with large animals. I have been defending us for weeks, it seems. I can never let my guard down" Luka realized that they may now be in grave danger. Especially her, who can't move. Fear devoured her again. Was Miku really going to use that stick? For her?

Another splitting sound was heard, and the rustling of bushes. Luka closed her eyes. Miku gripped her spear.

The same bear as before emerged in the clearing, but this time it seemed irritated. Miku frowned.

"What got you in such a state?" The bear roared, making Miku clench her teeth and Luka wish she could. It charged, all claws out, to kill.

Luka heard the noises, the pawing on the ground and the screams. She opened her eyes, barely.

Miku was right in front of her, holding her spear high. The bear rubbed his face, and Luka saw some blood drip from its forehead. It roared again, and charged. Miku clenched her spear, and slashed.

Another roar split the air. This time, Miku hit the shoulder.

Luka was astonished. Miku knew exactly how to handle that weapon. Of course she had learned the hard way.

Luka was terrified at what could possibly happen right now. If Miku faltered, they were both dead. Then Luka's world, which had just become almost perfect, would go down the drain.

Her heart hammered in her chest as the bear charged again. She feared so much for her friend, the girl who loved her, the girl she loved.

A loud hiss filled air, and blood splattered the floor. Miku clenched her arm, letting her spear go.

Luka blanched. The bear had managed to get a good tear on Miku's arm, her good arm. The bear sniffed some more.

"Go away!" yelled the smaller girl, eyes icy cold. The bear didn't flinch, as expected. It took another step forward, to which Miku responded with a step back.

Luka wanted to do something, anything right now. This was turning much worse than hoped.

The wild animal looked over Miku at Luka's immobile form, and took a quick step forward.

"Leave her ALONE!" with a huge kick, Miku nailed a hit at the bear's face. Her voice was so impressive, Luka nearly flinched despite her incapacity to and the bear froze.

The animal whimpered, and turned around.

"AND DON'T COME BACK!" she yelled. The bear started running, and disappeared into the woods.

Luka looked at Miku's arm, feeling relief spread through her being. That was way too dangerous. She felt the adrenaline slowly vanish form her system.

But Miku was acting as if was a normal thing. Sighing, she ripped another strip from her shirt, soaked in water, and wrapped her wound.

Luka couldn't believe her eyes. Did Miku just fight off a bear? And now she was playing doctor without flinching. Miku told her she couldn't support the sight of blood, but now she was acting as if was an everyday thing. Maybe it was, now.

Tying the knot with her teeth, Miku looked at her protégé.

"You ok?" she asked through the fabric. Luka blinked. "You sure? Because when you fell, you left a nasty mark on your back. Probably the worst thing I've ever seen, to be honest" Luka blinked twice. Her back was as numb as the rest of her body. Was the bear already forgotten by the smaller girl? How many times did Miku already fight something?

"Sure? Can I check?" Luka approved, and Miku carefully leaned her from the wall. Once again, she was making the least contact possible, but handling with such care.

Luka wanted to hiss when her back was exposed to open air when Miku lifted her shirt. Miku somehow realized.

"I have nothing left to bandage it. My jeans are too short and I can't cut any more of my shirt. Besides, what remains is too short or not enough, anyway…" noted the new warrior. Luka felt her back sting.

"Does it hurt?" Luka did her best to blink only once. Miku sighed. "I'm so sorry this happened, Luka…if I hadn't…" she didn't continue, but started rinsing the wound with some ice cold water. Luka managed a gasp as the cold liquid ran over the wound.

"Get some sleep, Luka. You'll need it" the girl didn't have to blink. She immediately fell in a blissful sleep.

Miku watched her immobile form, a smile gracing her lips.

Her life had come back the moment she saw her open eyes through the flames. She had seen her love, alive. Her fear of her being dead was gone.

Yet, it was impossible. Five hundred feet, at the least, two people. Who survived that? Miku felt she already knew the answer. It was what kept her alive here for those long days.

Willpower and love.

Miku loved Luka too much to keep her alone here, and didn't think once about dying. She kept her life in a tight grasp. Luka must also have a strong will to live.

But Miku didn't really care what the reason was. What did care was that they were both survivors, both miraculous. Both alive.

At a cost. Miku's happiness was drowned in the most profound guilt she had ever felt. Luka was not even able to open her eyes fully. The only sound she made were sighs and week groans. Nothing more.

But she was even happier, because her whole lot of secrets were gone. Luka knew her inside-out, now. She had no more secrets. Luka knew her past, her fears, her motives, her love.

Luka thought Miku liked her, but no. Miku now knew it was a burning love. What comforted Miku so much was that Luka's eyes didn't flinch when she admitted the truth. Getting it out was hard, but they had only so many chances of making it out alive anyway, so why not?

Miku winced. Did Luka just plunge down with her, for nothing? Did she just sacrifice all her movement, her life, for nothing?

Miku shook her head. No, that wasn't going to go like that. This story won't end this way.

Miku rose, and picked up her spear. She was going to need some food for the voyage.


	8. The Struggle For Life And Love

Meiko sat straight in her chair, Kaito an arm around her shoulders. They had been supporting each other for the past weeks, like the cards of a tower; if one card fell, then they all did. Gakupo was sitting in front of them, as always looking a little sad. They still haven't managed to cure their minds from the two girl's absence. It still hurt, almost as much as it did.

When the teacher entered the room with some other man, everybody went to their respective places. Kaito just sat straight in his own seat, always at Meiko's side. The girl was extremely grateful he always stuck at her side. She needed it.

She felt a little guilty of using him for comfort, instead of loving him like she was supposed to, like she used too. But instead, she only talked with the boy, never a kiss or a hug. One day, Meiko knew, she would get out of her tragic trance and love him back.

The teacher cleared his throat.

"This is doctor Phillipmeisten (fill-lip-my-shten). He is here to talk about Miku's motives and other things concerning her. He had always watched around Miku. Besides probably only Luka, he is the one who knows the most about her. He had never spoken to her, only watched from a distance. She doesn't even know he exists" the man was short, had a striking black mustache, big eyebrows who hung low over his eyes. But his features seemed kind, and at the moment, worried.

"Greetings. You are all Miku's friends, I know that" he started pacing around while the teacher sat at an empty table to correct tests. Everybody prepared to hear the story. They all knew what he was going to tell. "I have known Miku almost since birth. Nobody knows where her real parents are. Dead or alive, nobody knows. In any case, I found her one day, aged of two, barely walking, on the streets. She knew exactly how to survive all alone, it was astounding. She knew how to speak, protest, and get food in many different ways. I took her in, but I found that I couldn't keep her. So, I trusted her to my sister. She loved Miku like her own daughter. Quickly Miku became a charming little girl. She loved to dance, sing, draw, and laugh. She was a little angel. But she was mischievous at times, throwing food or making pranks we still don't know how she managed. When she was nine, my sister died in a bus crash. She was going home with a whole lot of her friends, and the bus ran into another, creating twenty dead. It was a terrible accident. Miku was profoundly hurt, I remember. I took her in after, but not once did she look at me. She wasn't the charming girl from my sister's letters. She was lonely, never spoke, never did more than eat and go to the bathroom. She never cried, though. And it only got worse. A full week after my sister's burial, she got lost. I was walking with her in the streets, and I lost her. I was terrified. For days I sought her, then an interesting article in the newspaper caught my eye. Miku had become Crypton's number one singer. She seemed happy with a microphone in her hand, singing in the recording room. I talked to her manager. I wanted her to forget her unhappy past, so I trusted the man with her. I barely made enough money for myself, so things improved, in the end"

The class was dead silent, and even the teacher was listening with strained ears. This man had known the star since forever, it seemed. Did she really have no parents whatsoever?

Everybody was shocked. Her past really wasn't the happiest.

"Then, one day she declared she wanted to try public school. She was fifteen. But, she said she wanted to go as herself, not as the star everybody knew. Dorian asked her why, she wouldn't answer. Then I designed magic paint and pills. The paint was removed by the touch of a special fabric, sewn into gloves, and the pill deepened her voice. There was an antidote, which she took whenever she was home. The first day, she was extremely shy. Never before had she ever had contact with somebody else of her age. Never. When she came home, she told Dorian of all the wonderful faces she saw, all the strange people she met. Then, the beautiful group of people in her class. Yes, four out you all stood up to her. The tall, proud girl with short brown hair that really fit her, the boy with the striking blue eyes, the boy who made girls sway in his presence with his long, purple hair and great figure, and the tall pink-haired goddess. She thought you were all beings from another world, having never met another kid her age. At first, she was happy just watching you all walk by. Then, the year after the summer she turned sixteen, things changed. Those she cherished so started mocking her with her flaws. She was shaken and puzzled. She wondered why such perfect beings told her such things. But she let it all pass, by some extreme willpower I have never seen before"

Meiko felt her eyes sting. Did she really see them like that?

Meiko wanted to barf, the guilt was overwhelming her. This girl, she had done nothing to them but admire from a distance. Why did they start pestering her again? Boredom? Meiko nearly choked on her breath. If it really was that, then she felt terrible. Absolutely terrible. How could she have herself forgiven, now that they were dead?

Dead.

The man continued his story.

"Then, a bunch of things changed. But I do not know them all. All I know is that somebody found out her secret. She became so much happier since then. They became the best of friends, the newcomer became a singer, and they both fell down the cliff" Meiko stood up, much to everybody's surprise.

"Luka. Luka found her out. Luka won the contest. Luka helped her right to the end. Luka jumped after Miku as she fell off that wretched cliff" the doctor smiled.

"Miku must really like this Luka. She seemed to trust the girl with her heart" Meiko looked up.

"How do you know her family name and birth date? Miku's, I mean?" the man responded quickly.

"She had her name tagged on her underwear, as well as a date. We supposed it was her birthday. Actually, I would love to try to answer your questions, if the answers would reassure you" Meiko immediately asked another question.

"Where were you all this time?" he sighed, rubbed the back of his neck. His gaze got lost in whatever he was looking at.

"In England, five years ago. I just came back here. I was extremely sorry I wasn't able to see her in person" Gakupo raised a hand, and Meiko sat down. After being acknowledged, Gakupo posed his own question.

"Do you think, that they have a chance at...survival?" he asked, his voice breaking midway. The doctor sighed.

"I, honestly don't know. In any case, Miku has a willpower of steel. If she desires it, she'll survive. But making it all the way back is another thing…" he sighed, and his own voice became weak.

The forest is filled with animals, and is physically unreachable. We really can't contact them. But, I'm sure of one thing. If Miku survived the fall, and managed to stay alive till now, then she would only turn to those she trusts. Any other thing that moves is an opponent, she would practically act as an animal, driven by loneliness an instinct. Regrettably, for your friend, Luka, I have no idea" the whole class digested the information.

They really felt like shaved donkey butts.

00oo00

Luka only groaned when Miku gently rubbed her arm. With a sigh, Miku stood up.

Her water bag and a strap of food were swung around her shoulders. She had found some herbs, and a few things that grew here and there, and had ripped the last piece of her jean to hold it all. Her spear was also on her back, ready for use and easily accessible.

With a sigh, she turned the fire out, and trampled the ashes.

"Luka, wake up, please…" the girl opened one eye groggily. "Drink" Miku helped the girl drink from the custom made bag. Then she pushed some herbs into the wounded girl's mouth, feeding her small quantities so that the pink-haired girl could swallow them without chewing. Luka gave her a questioning look. "We're heading off. I'm bringing us home" Her eyes widened as much as they could. They seemed to be asking how. "I have water and a bit of food. All I have to do is carry you there"

Miku then realized the problem. She couldn't carry Luka with her shoulders in such a state.

"Can I try carrying you? Tell me if I'm hurting you" Luka blinked, still half out of it.

Miku leaned forward, and with a mighty huff, she lifted the girl from her ground, avoiding the shoulder area as much as possible. Luka was now rather sitting in her arms, head leaning against her shoulder. "Ok, like this?" Luka blinked, and continued slumbering. Miku inhaled deeply, gazing at the woods in front of her. This was going to take a long time.

She had no idea where to go, which direction to take. Nor how long it will take, or what problems they would encounter.

It was a strange sight. One girl wearing ripped shorts to the very top of her thighs and the shortest sleeveless shirt, covered with scratches and hair in a messy bun, bloodshot eyes and a serious look was carrying another girl who was sleeping in blood-stained jeans and a red-tinted white shirt, carrying a few scratches but had very tired features.

After inhaling deeply, Miku carried her last hope for life into the forest.

If one didn't make it, the other wouldn't, either.

00oo00

The scratches, the sounds and rumbles, the pain.

Miku knew nothing other than the fact that she was slowly dying. She had no clue how long she had been walking.

Luka had passed out again. She didn't open her eyes anymore, but Miku felt her weak heartbeat. She felt Luka's soft breaths against her neck. She felt her soaked shoes squish whenever she made a step; she knew that they were soaked with her blood. She felt her stomach howl in pain.

The first days, they would stop and rest, and eat a bit. But now, it was out of the question.

Miku had to keep moving. Animals smelled her trail of blood coming from her bleeding feet. No more food remained, there was no time to search for any. Water was gone, as were the now useless bags. The spear had disappeared. Miku's arms were tired beyond humanity.

And yet, she continued. She wanted to get as close as possible to home, to civilization. She wanted to save Luka. Nothing will make her arms let her go, nothing will make her stop her road.

Another wound opened on her leg as she stepped in a thorn bush. She didn't care, she marched on. When the sun disappeared, she didn't care. She saw nothing anyway, blinded by effort.

Her hair was now loose behind her, getting caught in whatever it touched. Miku felt the tearing at her head when her hair grew stubborn, snagging at whatever.

The amount of pain, of effort, of will, was incredible. Nothing would stop her. Nothing.

A roar was heard from behind, but Miku didn't hear it, deafened by her pain and effort.

She knew that she was slowly dying. Her blood was draining, her body wasn't getting anything to replace it. She was starving, no time for food. Her arms were weakening, no time for rest. Her will started weakening.

Why continue? She was lost, anyway. And what would they find when they came home? Probably nothing as well.

A black nothingness was opening its arms out to her. Why continue this futile effort if she could rest forever?

She felt her legs grown numb, her heartbeat slow down. Indeed, why try living only to die?

The warm breath on her neck snapped her out of it. She grazed death just there and then. An animal sniffed her foot as she walked. She didn't care, she continued walking on.

A large animal was following her. She had no idea what it was, but she knew it was there. If it made the slightest movement, then it would regret it, spear or no spear. Nothing touched her, or Luka.

The animal grunted. Miku halted, and turned around, looking at it with her tired eyes.

The bear. A large wound covered its forehead and shoulder. She couldn't fight him now, she realized with a sigh. She was far too tired to. It roared, and charged.

She stood still, her gaze hardening. With an instinct she didn't know she possessed, she roared back at the animal.

It froze, then turned around. Not caring she had just roared like a savage, she turned, and continued, feeling another blister on her foot open.

"Luka…Luka, are you ok?" Miku realized that her breathing had increased, as did her heartbeat. Did she sense the danger?

Miku rubbed her scratched cheek against her friend's head, a weak smile forming on her lips.

"Luka, as long as I hold your hand, you are fine. As long as I hold your hand, I am alive, and you don't risk anything. As long as I hold your hand, I hold the promise that we will live" with that, she held her tighter, wrapping her tired fingers around her beloved ones'.

00oo00

Worse, even worse.

Animals have been hanging around them like leaves around trees. Not five minute passed that Miku was fending away another hungry carnivore. Not once did she use violence, she used her gaze and voice alone.

Her throat hurt, her eyes hurt from keeping open. How long has it been since she slept? How many times had she grazed death, to be awoken by her beloved one's breathing? How many blisters now covered her feet? How many scratches covered her body?

Hunger tore at her stomach. Everything that moved seemed appetizing in her eyes. Even Luka's arm seemed to be as delicious as a leek.

But she couldn't stop for selfish purposes. She knew that Luka was also hungry, she needed to be fed first.

Her oldest wounds were stinging, now. She felt the mosquitos bite at her skin, she was unable to swat them away. She hurt and itched everywhere.

The only thing s she saw was Luka. She had to be safe, she had to live. But, for that wish to be granted, she needed to live as well.

Miku didn't know if she was going to make it. She felt her limbs growing numb again, and Miku tore herself from the welcoming eternal slumber.

She wanted to do anything but continue on, but at the same time, she wanted to continue on more than anything else. It tore her.

She tried to remember everything that had happened before this, but nothing sprang to her memory. All that she remembered were the feeling she had experienced.

The relief and fear when Luka discovered her, the joy and fear when they accidentally kissed, the nervousness and fear when she first officially met Meiko, Kaito and Gakupo.

Her fear when she first went to school.

Her fear for false friends.

Her fear when she got lost in the city.

Her fear for Dorian.

Miku knew now, she was never as scared as she was now. She was now scared out of her wits. She might lose everything. Was she going to lose everything? Was this whole story going to end on a tragic note?

Miku didn't know. What she did know, was that she was quickly dying.

00oo00

Meiko wiped her tears, clutching Kaito's hand. It seemed like a year since then. Or was it a year? She didn't know.

In any case, she knew she was standing in a huge crowd, and that posters were hanging all over the place, and that two stones were the general direction in which everybody was looking.

The posters were pictures of happy-looking Miku and Luka, Miku both as herself and Hatsune. Or was it the other way around? The city mayor walked up to the small podium right between the two gravestones. He tapped the microphone, which made a high-pitched sound run over the crowd. Everybody quieted down.

"Good afternoon, everybody. Or, rather, not so good" he took a sad face, admitting the truth. "It has been two months since the tragic accident. Two months since the world-famous Miku Hatsune and the just starting Luka Megurine fell down a cliff to their deaths. They have both left a mark on this world. Both have showed this planet that there aren't any limits to singing. They both completed their dreams, and they both had what they wanted. It is only regrettable that they had to leave us so soon, and at such a young age. Both were sixteen, barely able to discover the globe to their full potential. Such a tragedy, in fact. From now on we will celebrate the day of their deaths, as they died as true friends. It will be a regional mourning, every year from this day forward. We will honor their existence, and we will cry their departure. Please, everybody, bow your heads in their respect" Meiko felt tears pour over her cheeks. It was decided, officially. They were dead, gone. Kaito wrapped an arm around her, and lowered his head.

Meiko couldn't bring herself to do it, she felt numb, and so empty. She kept looking at the forest in front of her, where miles further up, their bones lay.

The whole crowd was dead silent. When everybody rose their head, Dorian stepped up to the microphone.

"I still remember how I felt when I heard Steve tell me they were dead. He came up to me, face sorry and terrified, and told me that he had unwillingly taken their lives. As witnesses prove, it was purely accidental, but extremely unfortunate. My chest hurts when I think of all the songs Miku and her friend could be singing right now. I really hope this-" he was interrupted when a tremendous sound emanated from the forest. Nobody knew what it was, but it shook the whole crowd immensely. It sounded pained, as if an immense effort was created to make such a sound. It was raspy, dry, but impressive and dominant.

Everybody looked at the forest as birds flew away from the source of the sound. Breaths were held in, eyes strained at a point a little to the left of the graves. What beast could make such a sound?

Bushes started moving, and a figure was discernable in the distance.

Everybody held in a gasp.

A girl, no older than seventeen, covered in wounds and blood, pants and shirt ripped, teal hair flying, was carrying a bloodied figure who lay immobile in her arms, leaned into the crook of her neck.

Two names were at the edges of everybody's lips, everybody wanted to exclaim something of joy and amazement, but it was as if a thick layer of ice had covered them all. Nobody gasped, but everybody wanted to, when they saw that the girl's footprints were layered in thick blood.

But, no matter the size of those impressive cuts, no matter the layer of sweat covering their arms, no matter the heavy breathing, the most impressive part of this whole, terrifying show was the smaller girl's eyes.

They were crazed. Not a tear filled them, but they were layered with effort and sufferance. They stared straight ahead, not caring what happened.

The footsteps were even and rhythmic, always leaving behind the gruesome trail.

The ghostly figure slowly made its way towards the crowd, never faltering her grip on her passenger. Nobody failed to see the tightly intertwined hands.

Her breathing became clearer to hear. It was heavy, dry, raspy, tired, but strong. It demanded domination.

She headed straight for the center of the crowd, looking at nothing and everything with those empty, strong eyes. The people parted before she could touch them. Her hair trailed behind like a curtain, not a twig visible but knots evident. It glistened in the vague light of this cloudy day, as did the sweat on her shoulders.

She walked through the crowd, sometimes turning left, sometimes turning right. Having no destination in particular, but seeming to be searching for something.

Meiko held her breath like the rest of the crowd, not daring to make a sound. What was happening. Was this a ghost, or was she real? Or was only one of them dead? She had no idea what to think, this sight was too impressive to digest.

She saw Dorian make his way through the crowd.

"Miku!" he touched her shoulder. Nobody expected what happened next.

He girl twirled around with such force and energy, facing the older adult. Her eyes sharpened, focused only on the man in front of her. She gripped the other girl tighter against her, and growled. Dust rose under her bloodied feet as she swirled then around, to freeze in a combat position. Her hair whipped her face, glued against her sweaty forehead, but she just glared, and growled.

She growled loudly, making a deep impression in everybody's memories, baring her teeth. It sounded so menacing, so inhuman. It sounded like a warning, a plea. Nobody knew what it was, or where it came from.

But this girl was almost acting like an animal. She just stared at the man, piercing gaze and menacing posture.

Then, it ended as quickly as it began. She turned away, eyes glazing over again, and continued her search. Meiko heard the doctor what's-his-name's words ring through her head.

_If Miku survived the fall, and managed to stay alive till now, then she would only turn to those she trusts with her heart. Any other thing that moves is an opponent, she would practically act as an animal, driven by loneliness an instinct._

Meiko snapped out of her flashback. Miku was right in front of her, eyes on the ground. Meiko could practically see the blood drip from her shoes on the ground, her chest rise and falls as she breathed slowly but evenly.

"Can I trust you?" came a dry, pleading voice. Meiko nearly jumped at the menacing, yet imploring tone. Miku looked up at her eyes.

Meiko saw an immense amount of effort, pain and hope in her eyes. It was too great to describe.

"Can I trust you?" she asked again, more demanding. Meiko looked her over. She was covered in cuts, wounds. Her arm was wrapped in her own clothes, soaked in blood. Her breaths were dry.

"Yes, you can" was all she could say. Miku then collapsed in front of her.

Meiko, along with Kaito, Gakupo, Haku, Neru and Len, grabbed her, stopping the girl from hitting the ground.

"Call an ambulance! Call one now!" yelled the purple-haired boy. The crowd snapped back to reality, and an ambulance was there in less than a minute.

00oo00

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Miku groaned at the monotone sound. It was so familiar, where had she heard it before? What was it…

She wanted to yell in frustration when somebody opened a door, letting some sort of muffled noise enter the room. A deep voice then rang through the girl's head.

"It's ok, now. She doesn't need anything anymore, only some good rest" some woman nodded, Miku knew that without looking. Where was she? A voice came up on the speakers, making the girl want to flee this place. Couldn't they be more quiet?

Then the beeping stopped, and Miku felt a bunch of prodding on her arm. She groaned and protested.

"Ah, you're finally awake. Gee, you gave us a scare, you know? Half the globe was mourning you!" Miku groaned again. If she was awake, then it was because somebody had awoken her. "Stop moving! I need to remove these" teased the voice. Miku cracked open an eye.

White. She was surrounded by white walls. She lay in a hospital bed, covered in white sheets.

She raised her head, curious. So, she had been put in a hospital. Miku gasped when she felt her hand empty. She turned towards the woman.

"Where is Luka?" she demanded. Her voice sounded smooth again, but slightly slurred and tired. The woman laughed. Miku heard the nervousness behind it.

"Why, aren't you recovering fast? Normally our patients need a day or two to realize everything!" Miku had no idea how she got here, what time or day it was, or if she was even properly dressed. No, she didn't realize anything. What she did realize, was that Luka wasn't here.

"Where is she?" she demanded, trying to sound more demanding. At that moment, another announcement was heard from the speakers.

"More doctors, anybody available, are demanded for room 713. Patient in serious condition" the announcement repeated itself, but Miku paid no mind.

"What room am I?" the woman answered quickly.

"Room 714. Right next to our friend!" Miku then heard the gasp, and felt her breath catch. Next to 714 was 713, and 713 was…

Miku didn't hesitate. She jumped out of bed, fully awake in less than a second. Ignoring the stars in her eyes and her protesting feet, she continued on, pushing out the door. She barely noticed the calls from behind her. All she knew was that she was needed.

Meiko looked at the door with a sad face.

They had survived; the simple fact was a miracle in itself. Miku had walked miles just for the two to make it out alive. But at some cost.

From what the doctors could see, they were both famished and dehydrated, especially the smaller singer. It was a miracle Miku could even move. Then, they were both scratched up, and some wounds were even infected. Miku had severe blisters on her feet, and for a few weeks, she won't walk. But the worse between the two was Luka.

Her shoulder blades were split, and she was paralyzed. The only thing she could do, was blink, sigh a little and move her left little toe.

But, for two full months, they were impeccable, comparing to whatever anybody would have guessed. Some say they slept, unconscious for a few weeks, then they stocked up some water and food, then left. But, they couldn't know.

Luka's parents were overjoyed when they saw Miku exit the forest, their daughter in her arms. And the media was going wild over them. The whole world now knew about the miraculous duo. One question was asked by millions; what made them survive?

Nobody knew yet.

Now, Meiko, Kaito and Gakupo were now looking into the room. One wall was made out of glass, so that doctors could stand outside and observe the patient without disturbing him/her. But now, nobody stood outside.

All doctors where inside, trying to calm Luka down. She was strapped to the bed, and was panicking. Although she only made a major move every two minutes against her will, one could immediately say that she was not well.

Her eyes were wide and panicking, though she saw nothing. Sweat covered her whole body, and she continued groaning that same sound over and over again.

Meiko stared sadly. What made Luka so terrified? Nothing the doctors did calmed her down, not even when they tried to give her some sleep, her body refused the medicine. She stayed in this haunted half-awake state, whatever the cost, it seemed.

"Stop her! Stop her!" the call waked the trio out of their thoughts, and tore their gazes from her friend. They were appalled.

Miku was running in their direction, clutching her forehead and blood seeping through the bandages at her feet.

"Stop her!" the doctors in the room heard as well, and opened the door.

Miku couldn't see anything. Her sight was fuzzy from getting up so quickly, and her feet hurt more with every step she took. But all she felt was the same urgency as when she was in the forest.

Save Luka, no matter what the cost.

Somebody was calling out for some other person to stop her. Miku grinned a little.

That wasn't going to happen.

When the first pair of hands tried to grab her shoulders, she turned into a frenzy, using everything she learned in the forest. Aim for the eyes, or go low. No matter the fact she was blind for the moment, no matter the fact that she could hardly stand. She had to get to Luka.

"Let me pass!" more hands, slowing her down. "Let me go!"

Pushing with all her might, she took a step forward nearly slipping on her blood, but more hands held her down. She wacked them away venomously. With a groan, she managed to take another step, and her vision cleared a little.

What she saw split her heart in two. Between the mass of bodies trying to stop her, between the outstretched hands and menacing fingers, she saw the girl she loved, sweating and trembling violently, jerking an arm every once in a while.

"Luka!" the doctors froze at the strength of her call, giving her a way in. To everybody's surprise, Luka froze as well. Miku grabbed for her hand, tripping over her own feet, not being able to support herself for any longer.

"Luka, it's ok, it's ok. I'm here, you have nothing to worry about" she panted, bringing herself closer to the bed. "You're safe".

Luka quickly relaxed and closed her eyes, leaving everybody in and out of the room stare in wonder.

Miku sighed and leaned against the bed, holding her beloved one's hand.

00oo00

Miku groaned. Opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings, again.

The room was still white. Only now she was in front of another hospital bed, sitting in a very comfortable chair. In front of her lay the sleeping figure of her best friend. She smiled at the memories.

Those doctors were stupid, with their needles and medicines. Luka was only scared out of her wits, she needed her.

Miku looked down at her feet. Maybe running on that tiled floor was a bad idea. Now they ached.

With a sigh, she sat upright, always clutching Luka's hand.

Luka looked so peaceful, just sleeping there. Miku leaned to her ear.

"How are you, Luka?" she let the question hang in the air for a little while. Miku smiled, and sat back in her chair.

She had never been through such an ordeal before. She nearly died dozens of times, yet she lived thanks to sheer willpower. And all the animals she faced…

To be honest, she barely remembered anything. Only the dark leaves around her, moving slowly as she trudged on, and the places where she hurt the most.

It was terrifying.

Miku studied herself. A bandage was wrapped around her arm, were the bear had hit her the day before the travel. Her feet were wrapped with thick fabric. Another bandage covered her upper leg and her cheek. What were the cause of those wounds? She couldn't remember.

But besides that, she was covered in small little scratches. Miku looked at her hair. It was washed and brushed.

She stretched in her chair. She could barely remember anything from the moment when she stepped out of the forest. A voice was pulling her in a certain direction, she knew who it was. It was the person she hated, and feared most. But she went in his direction, only because he was surrounded by people. And then, nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"Ah, Miku. You are awake" Miku turned around swiftly, and met the kind eyes of a doctor. He was standing next to a door, and the whole wall behind him was covered with a curtain. Miku knew that a panel of glass was behind the curtain.

"How are you feeling?" asked the man. Miku nearly choked. It has been so long since she actually heard another human voice…

"Fine…I think" the doctor chuckled a little.

"Can I ask you some questions?"

"That depends…" she said slowly. She wasn't used to hearing another voice other than her own anymore. The noise sounded strange in her ears.

"Do you know what day it is?" she groaned, and shook her head. "What is your name, and your age?"

It continued on like that, the older man asked simple questions. The girl responded the obvious ones, but wasn't able to answer some others. At the end, she managed to ask.

"Then, what day are we? What time?" he smiled.

"Two months and a week since you fell of the cliff. It's a wonder you lived. You came out of the woods a week ago. Now it's three in the afternoon" she was appalled. Two months? It felt like years. So then it was…almost June.

She put her free hand to her head, and groaned. The school year was almost done.

"Is Luka going to be ok? What does she have?" he scratched his head.

"To make things simple, her shoulder blades are broken, as are a few bones in her spine. That caused her to be immobile to pretty much anything past her nose, aside her little toe. Luckily she didn't fall on her head, it could have been worse"

"Will she be ok?" he sighed this time.

"Well, we will have to wait for her bones to heal before we can operate her. Her life is not in danger, thanks to you" she smiled widely and sat back. Luka was going to be ok…an immense relief spread through her body. The man stood up and made for the door.

"When you get out of this hospital, you are going to answer quite a few questions. But I know you will handle it" with a smile, he exited the room and closed the door.

She didn't care of the future. What mattered was that they were both alive and almost unharmed. They were going to get out of this fine.

Miku felt all her guilt dissolve. Luka saved her, and in exchange, she saved Luka. Now they will be able to return to their normal lives…

A nurse entered the room.

"Miku, how would like to be here? We can install a bed here, next to your friend" Miku smiled.

"This chair will suffice, thank you" the nurse nodded.

"Now that we know you are both well, from now on visitors will be able to visit you and your friend between four and six o'clock. Does that work for you?" the girl nodded, and the older woman left the room.

"Isn't that great, Luka? You are going to be ok! We are both going to be fine. You don't know how happy I am to hear that!" whispered Miku in Luka's ear. "You are going to be able to see your parents again, and our friends. We will be able to live without animals following us, and cook food we didn't kill over a stove!" Miku continued talking to the girl, varying the subjects. Sometimes she mentioned what her favorite foods were, then what they would be able to do when they get out.

The whole night Miku continued to talk, and kept watch over her friend. This was great, was all Miku could think of.

She fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning, forever and always holding her beloved one's hand.


	9. Emotional Miracles

Miku rubbed her eyes, stretching in her chair. What time was it?

She sighed, and looked at Luka, lying there in the bed, not moving.

Miku was so happy she was going to be ok. She was so happy so much effort hasn't been thrown away. She was so happy the taller girl's sacrifice hadn't been in vain.

She searched for a clock, and possibly a calendar. It was five to four, apparently.

Miku realized she wasn't in her regular clothes. She was garbed in white clothes, not needing a hospital gown or whatever they were called. A simple, white T-shirt and long white pants. Feeling a weight in her pocket, Miku fished out whatever was in there.

Her cellphone. Battery empty, as expected, but the small keychain caught her eye.

The two butterflies hung on the small metal ring, pushing each other and swaying at the slight shifting gravity. Bright blue and bright pink. Had it been in her pocket the whole time? Miku could barely remember it. Has it really been with them through the entire ordeal?

With a smile, Miku detached the ring from her phone. This wasn't a mere decoration anymore, she felt. It was a representation of everything they had done together.

Their whole life these past months felt like the flight of those small butterflies. Never in a straight line, sometimes going up, sometimes doing down, sometimes slow or fast.

Miku's life had been flying slowly, closely over the grass, taunted by another butterfly, Luka. Then, Luka let Miku join her dance over the fields. Sometimes they flew together, sometimes they flew farther apart. And yet…they were always side-by-side, right from the start.

Twisting and turning, they both danced down the cliff, and they both flew through the woods. And now, here they were, resting in the hospital, only to leave and fly again.

Miku felt tears come to her eyes. They really were together, right from the very beginning.

A knock on the door interrupted Miku's thoughts. A nurse let two people in, and Miku felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw who they were.

Luka's parents.

Miku felt shy all of a sudden. These were the first people she spoke with that she really knew, and they had to be Luka's parents. They must hate her for having tossed their daughter over the edge of a cliff. Her shyness turned into fear. These people must really hate her now.

"Hello, Miku" spoke the mother. Miku felt the sound ring strangely in her ear again. Hearing another voice, after so long, it felt…bizarre, still.

In response, Miku nodded timidly, waiting for their sentence. Luka's father cleared his throat.

"We're not going to ask what exactly happened, but we want to know one thing" Miku nodded, willing to answer as best as she could to save her from death. "Do you know why our daughter risked her life for you? Do you know why she jumped after you?" Miku's mind froze.

Miku couldn't find an answer. She didn't have an answer.

With everything that had happened, Miku had never really thought about anything except survival. Now, she realized there were many things she wanted to know.

And this was one of those things.

Why did Luka really save her? At the moment, Miku would have sworn she hated her, but then… Miku honestly didn't know.

"I…don't know, really. I really have no idea" she said slowly, still trying to find a reason.

Luka had no good reason to risk her life for her. But Miku analyzed everything they did together.

Did Luka still feel guilty for pestering her? That could have been it. But, that didn't seem like her. Plus, she knew very well that she was forgiven.

Why would Luka do such a thing?

"We're happy you brought her back" Miku nearly jumped out of her thoughts at the sudden statement. "We understand it was not an easy feat" Miku admitted she couldn't be modest and say 'No, it was nothing!' because clearly, it wasn't nothing.

Miku felt uneasy, all of a sudden. So many questions filled her head in one moment. Why did she jump after her? What happened during their absence? Were they still going to sing?

She felt her gut clench at the last question. Dorian…

"To be honest, we hated you for quite some time. We saw you as the cause of our daughter's death. But now…" said the mother. Miku looked down.

"I did feel guilty, myself" the parents looked at her, puzzled. "When I woke up, I don't think I was able to see the gravity of the entire situation. Just saw everything on the surface. I saw Luka, lying there…" she took a deep breath "and couldn't see how precious she was to me. Then, the next day, I saw how bad we were. I had no idea if she was even alive…I was too scared to check. I felt guilty for doing this to her. I had, and have, no idea why she jumped, but I felt, and feel, that it is my fault. With that on my mind, I couldn't let her stay there. So, when she woke up, but couldn't even peep a sound…" she felt tears come to her eyes. "I felt worse. I had to get her out of there…" she clutched Luka's hand. "I was so scared…"

Miku didn't feel the comforting hands pat her back; she didn't hear the comforting words. She only re-experienced the entire ordeal, and felt every feeling she didn't at the time.

The dark leaves, the lonely nights, the animals, the hunger, the uncertainty if she was waiting for a corpse to wake up. The pain rushed through her limbs, remembering the stinging thorns and the cold nights. Roars echoed through her head, slashes with her spear, the fear.

The utter fear she was experiencing the entire time. The fear of not making it out alive, the fear of not being able to save the person she loved. The fear of having killed the person who had saved her.

Miku felt tears flood down her cheeks. The absolute fear of having lost everything flashed over and over. She bit her lip. How could she sum this up?

Miku choked back a sob, and clutched Luka's hand tighter. If Luka hadn't been there, she would have lost it. She would have lost it completely. If Luka hadn't been there, Miku wouldn't have had a reason to keep her sanity. She wouldn't have had a reason to keep her own life.

Luka's parents looked at the girl cry.

It was surprising. Miku seemed so intact on the outside, but when she remembered what had happened, she seemed terrified.

Was it really so bad? Did the girl really go that far for Luka, their only daughter? Did she survive the fall only to bring her back alive?

Miku continued, to sob, and the mother's gaze drifted off to their linked hands. Miku's hand was grabbing Luka's hand tightly, while Luka's remained…immobile.

Miku must be in great pain, seeing what she had done to her friend, even if it wasn't intentional.

Luka's father regretted feeling hate for this girl. At the moment, it seemed almost reasonable, but now, inexcusable. It was almost as if they were searching somebody to blame for their daughter's sure death. But now, they have a person to thank.

"Come, come, it will all be ok, Luka's going to be fine" whispered his wife. Biting his lip, he surely hoped her words were right.

00oo00

Miku sighed deeply. Luka's parents were really, really nice people. Luka was lucky to have such great parents, such good people to turn to when she had problems.

Miku gently stroked the back of her friend's hand. It was so soft, despite everything they had been through… Miku looked at her own hands. They were scratched, bandaged, scarred probably for life.

Yet, Miku felt a little proud of these scars. They represented her efforts in keeping Luka alive. They meant a whole lot.

Miku laughed at how little things have suddenly become important. Those small wounds, the butterflies…what next?

Yawning, she decided to take a little nap.

00oo00

Days passed, and Miku was always sitting next to Luka's bed. She ate from her lap, and never moved from her spot. Luka's parents came every now and then, but nobody else. Though, that didn't disappoint Miku. She felt happy enough with her sleeping friend.

Luka was gradually getting better. The doctors were seeing positive results, and announced that they could operate on her in a few days.

At the news, Miku suddenly felt scared.

She wasn't going to be able to be with Luka during the operation, right? She was going to have to wait. And Luka…

Luka wouldn't know. She would be scared, and strapped back onto the bed. She could make the operation fail.

Miku chewed the inside of her cheek while Luka slept, unknowing and unaware.

Miku didn't want to wait. She had been waiting for the last few months, but for some reason, waiting for an operation to finish seemed different.

It was because all the other times, she could protect Luka while she rested. She knew what was happening. But now, Luka was going to be put into a room, and Miku was going to wait outside. Miku wouldn't be able to do anything; she wouldn't be able to see what was happening. If anything happened, she wouldn't be there to protect her love.

Miku woke up, rubbing her eyes. Another good night's rest. No school, no alarm, no homework, no worries. Only Luka.

Her most important stretching was interrupted when the doctor entered the room.

"Good morning, Miku. Can I check your wounds?" she nodded, and pushed herself away from the bed a slight bit. She had gotten used to hearing voices again. Now she could listen to a discussion without wincing whenever the tone sounded off.

The man removed the bandages from her face, seeing that the wounds have closed well, leaving no scars. Her arm was still healing, so he put a new wrap around it. When he started unwrapping her feet, he asked.

"Have you tried walking these past days, Miku?" she shook her head. "Good. Please, for the next days, try not to stand. We don't want those wound to open again. And later, you will have to take some exercises to revive the muscles"

"Ok" Miku looked down on her feet.

Blisters, blisters everywhere. Gosh, what has she done to herself? She could barely count her toes anymore.

"Do they hurt?"

"No" he gently touch the top of her foot.

"Now?"

"No" he touched the bottom, and she winced. That…that stung, badly. He gently tested every toe, and she winced every time.

"Well, at least you can still feel them, but it's going to take some more time to heal" he declared, wrapping them back up.

Packing in his little doctor's suitcase, he wrote his notes on a piece of paper.

"So… depending on how fast your feet heal and how fast Luka recovers from her surgery, it can take from two weeks to a month to get out of here" he said. Miku didn't really care how long she stayed, as long as Luka would finish on her own two feet.

Flipping through the pages clipped on the clipboard, he bit his lip.

"Ok, now time to give Luka an x-ray" she nodded, and the man pushed a button. Immediately the speakers announced that personnel was required to bring Luka to the x-ray room number fifteen.

Miku followed as the nurses pushed the bed, rolling on her wheelchair. She could transfer from her comfortable chair to this mobile one, but this one was noticeably less comfortable.

In the room, Miku put on her protection against the rays, and then followed Luka to the machine. She had to hold Luka no matter what, or else the picture could end up as the worst x-ray in history.

Only holding her hand as Luka was scanned, Miku tried to appear in the picture the least possible.

The doctors were amazed by Miku's ability. Whenever she let go, Luka would start a panic, and almost give herself death. So they adapted everything so that Luka could receive her treatment always holding Miku's hand.

They studied the picture as Miku and her protégé were led back to their room.

Miku sat down carefully in her comfy chair. Before being able to do anything else, the doctor re-entered the room.

"Well, she has healed nicely, probably thanks to you. She will be ready for operation tomorrow"

Miku winced. Tomorrow? He saw her reaction, and kneeled by her chair.

"The operation might last a few hours. And unfortunately, it cannot happen with you in the room. We fear the operation might fail if Luka throws a tantrum. Could you tell us what helps her stay calm? Then, maybe we could…" he didn't finish, seeing that Miku already knew what he meant.

"A promise. Before she fell unconscious, I promised her that as long as I hold her hand, we would be ok, that we would live. And, unfortunately, nothing can replace a promise" he looked down to the ground.

"Well, try to prepare her for tomorrow. I will try to schedule it in the morning, so that you could spend the rest of the day with her. I'll give you the official time later" and with that he got up and left the room.

Miku felt fear start no nibble on her conscience.

What was she supposed to do? This could go terribly wrong…

Miku knew she couldn't, under any circumstances, enter that room. Even if she could, she wouldn't. She couldn't stand those trays with knives, tweezers, scissors…those men with those masks in special clothing…it terrified her too much.

Miku looked at Luka's sleeping figure. Without really thinking it through, she leaned towards her ear.

"Luka, how are you?" no reaction, as expected. "Luka, tomorrow…tomorrow they're going to cure you. But I'm going to have to let go. I can't be there with you" Miku nearly jumped when the monitor started beeping faster. Luka really could hear her. Miku didn't know if she should feel relieved or terrified. Calming down her racing heart, she continued whispering. "Don't worry, Luka. Please don't worry. Nothing is going to happen. The doctors are going to do their best; they won't allow themselves to do anything bad. Please Luka, please don't be scared. If you are, then things could go wrong. No, I won't hide it. If you feel scared, then things might go bad. Please know that I'll be with you once I can. I will be right next to you as soon as possible. Please trust me, and don't feel scared" Miku heard her voice crack, and tears roll down her cheeks. "I don't want you to die, after all I did" with a sob, she sat back, fear overcoming her. Biting her nails, she waited for morning.

00oo00

Miku rolled in her chair with Luka towards the room. She hadn't slept a wink, all the possible things that could possibly happen flashing through her mind.

The atmosphere was heavy, and everybody was uncertain. Everybody knew what might happen when Miku let go of her hand.

Miku felt tears come back when the nurses stopped in front of the room. Miku could see doctors inside disinfecting their tools. It gave her shivers imagining those sharp steel objects cutting open Luka's skin.

Miku leaned over.

"Luka, please be strong, don't be afraid. I'll be right by you as soon as possible, ok?" Miku studied her for a reaction. Not one.

Shivering, Miku let go of her palm. Everybody waited for Luka's reaction.

Miku held her breath. Two minutes passed, and Luka still hadn't moved. With a sigh, she spoke into her ear again, relief barely visible through all she fear she was experiencing.

"Good job, Luka. I'll be with you in a few hours. Please stand still for that time. Please" Miku felt like begging, but backed away, and let the nurses bring her friend into the brightly lit room. A tear finally managed to roll down her cheek when the double doors closed with a bang.

Miku spotted a small spot next to the door, and rolled her chair in that direction. She would wait here, no matter what anybody would say.

A minute later, the nurses came back out, and put up the indication that an operation was happening in that room. A blonde woman spotted the girl sitting there, and walked in her direction.

"Hello, Miku" the girl looked up to her, tears in her eyes. "The bond you have with your friend is amazing, you know that?" Miku looked down.

"I don't care if anything is amazing or not" the woman sighed.

"You're scared, aren't you?" the smaller girl nodded. "Don't worry. Think positive. That had saved many patients here multiple times" and with that the nurse left.

Miku chewed on whatever she could get her hand on, even her hands themselves.

Hours ticked by, seconds seeming like years. With every faint noise Miku heard, she imagined a scene in the room that would give her nightmares for life.

She felt alone, truly alone, for the first time in ages.

She didn't know it hurt that much. Nobody here really knew her, her friend were at school, Luka's parents at work, and her best friend, the person she loved with all her heart, was in the risk of dying on the opposite side of the wall she was leaning against.

It hurt.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks constantly, never ceasing. Her nails were almost gone, her hands were covered in red marks, and her hair was getting split edges.

Every hour, she checked the clock to see that only a minute has passed.

It hurt.

The memories of their time they had spent together flooded back. Her smiles, her cries, those sneering eyes that had started it all.

Those sneering eyes that laughed at her misery. Those sneering eyes that had gained a joyous sparkle whenever a tear managed to enter their view. Those sneering eyes that made her life hell.

How she loved them with all her heart.

It hurt.

00oo00

One hour, finally. One hour. Why does it feel like a day?

Miku looked at the people passing. She looked at the sun through the window. Nothing was moving fast enough, time wasn't moving fast enough.

Miku has nothing else to chew on. So she scratched the armrests of her chair, eating the insides of her cheeks. The blood in her mouth had no taste, and the aching of her fingers against the shiny leather wasn't felt. She felt nothing but the numb fear in her mind and the feelings of those countless memories.

It still hurt.

She looked at the door, for probably the hundredth time. Closed, as always. No sound coming past the wooden planks that separated her from her friend.

Thinking about Luka, Miku wondered how she was feeling right now. Lost? Scared? And Miku was still chewing her left cheek about what would happen when she would talk to her.

Miku had admitted to her that she liked her. Did Luka only accept to be with her because she knew she couldn't stand a chance alone? When she would step out of this hospital, would she say that she didn't want to see her again?

The thought had joined her other nightmares about ten minutes ago. She couldn't imagine Luka leaving her.

And, even if she was disgusted by her, then would she still leave after all the things Miku had done? Or would that fuel her disgust even more?

All these feelings were creating a whirlpool in her head. Bad things, one after the other, flashed in front of her eyes. Not one second of rest or peace. An absolute nightmare.

Another glance at the door. Why won't they open?

00oo00

Fear.

Was she going to be ok? Was all this really good?

She couldn't feel a thing, yet she knew she was being prodded with sharp things.

Was Miku really going to come back? Where was she, anyway? Not in the forest, Miku mentioned doctors. At a hospital, then?

Fear.

She hates hospitals. For some reason, they were scary, and way too clean.

All those men behind masks could kill you and leave the building easily. And behind every door was somebody with something bad. The whole place reeked of accidents.

Fear.

Miku said that she would come back soon. And yet, why would she? She had been a burden for the smaller girl for far too long. Why would she look at her? She couldn't do anything anymore, so why hang out with her? What kind of friend would she be?

She would be alone.

Fear.

She was utterly scared.

Where was Miku? How long has it been? How long is it still going to last? Was she really going to come back? Was everything going to be ok?

She didn't know. She really didn't know.

All she was aware of was the heavy fear that was devouring her conscience, numbed slightly by this sweet air she was constantly breathing in.

00oo00

Miku couldn't feel her cheeks anymore. How long has it been?

Three hours. So long…so long. She could barely remember coming here. It seemed lifetimes ago.

Her feet were numb from sitting in this chair for so long. Her butt ached, and her back was crooked. She was very uncomfortable, but she didn't care.

She was staying here till the very end.

A doctor had come up to her to tell her that she needed to go back to her room. She refused, and spat the man away, making it clear that she wasn't leaving.

Nobody understood the endless painful feelings she was swimming in.

Her torment had increased by the minute. What seemed like hell two hours before was paradise now.

A real nightmare. No, that was an underestimation. A nightmare for a nightmare, a feeling of knowing it's the end of all life. Utter, terrible pain and fear.

She could only imagine what Luka was going through.

A doctor emerged from those wretched doors, writing something on a clipboard. Miku rolled up to him. Impatient and desperate.

"And?" she asked quickly, barely understandable. She was sitting at the edge of her chair, gripping the armrests with her numb fingers.

The man smiled.

"She's fine. She'll be perfectly ok in a few weeks. She'll be out here in a few minutes" Miku couldn't have felt better.

She was fine. She was ok; she was going to be perfectly ok.

Miku felt as if she had been freed from a lifetime of prison, sitting years on end on rotting stone.

Miku sat in front of the door, anxiously waiting for her beloved to emerge.

When the bed was pushed past those wooden planks, Miku grabbed for Luka's hand.

It felt unusually cold, or Miku was just that warm from relief. All the doctors smiled at the reunion. Minor as it was, it seemed ten times more precious than it seemed.

"Hey, Luka. I told you I would be back. You don't know how long I have been waiting, how relieved I am. You're going to be ok, Luka. You are going to walk again, move again. I'm so happy that you're going to be fine" Miku kept talking in cracked sentences, tears of shear happiness running down her face. She kept saying how happy she was, how relieved she felt. The doctors only watched with smiles on their faces.

00oo00

Miku woke from her nap. That wait had taken a toll on her well-being. Apparently she had a small fever, but she couldn't care less.

Luka was finally completely well.

Even if she hadn't moved or spoken yet, she was fine. Now, she was resting, and was going to wake up in a few days, said the doctors.

Miku felt really lazy. All she did these past days was talk to Luka and sleep, and eat of course. Sitting around all day, her only worry was her friend's well-being.

Yet, she felt curious. What had the world seen during their absence? Not knowing exactly what she was doing, she called the nurse.

"What would you like, Miku?" asked the woman. Miku slowly answered.

"Do you have any newspapers? Maybe a few from when Luka and I fell, if possible" the woman nodded.

Five minutes later, Miku was handed a whole compilation of newspapers. An entire pile.

"The oldest, the ones from the day you fell, are on top. Today's news is on bottom" said the woman. Miku thanked her, and took the first paper.

The front page was smothered with a picture of them, and huge words were printed all over.

_The famous Miku and Megurine Luka take a fatal fall!_

_Surprising events occurred at the city's cliffs around three thirty in the afternoon yesterday. Apparently, the world-famous singer had been going to school as a regular girl under the name of Hatsune, and had been uncovered on the site. Not a minute after the revelation, both stars had fallen through the railing to their deaths. More details on page 2._

Miku flipped to the page. Pictures of her and a few of Luka, being rarer, smothered the double page, a lot of text between each photo.

_Miku, or now known as Hatsune Miku, and the brand-new star Megurine Luka have lost their lives at the bottom of the city cliffs. The events are numerous and confused. Nobody knows what exactly why or even less how everything happened. Apparently a regular student from the public high school, by the only name of Hatsune, was pestered day by day by our star, Luka. She was not particularly tall, had a deep voice and muddy brown hair, with surprisingly bright teal eyes. After a chase, Luka and this mysterious Hatsune character had become friends, about the same time Luka had won the contest. At said event, the winner and star seemed oddly yet uncomfortably familiar. After publishing their duet, the two stars suddenly seemed distant, if only for a day. The class was said to have headed towards the cliffs for a trip. Classmates said that Luka had seemed down, and Hatsune confused. Then, with the arrival of Miku's body guard, the two plummet after a series of confused happenings. Meiko, an old friend of Luka's, was able to sum up the scene despite her confusion and shock. "The scene already seemed odd from the start, almost…gosh, by holy fire trucks… Hatsune-err...Miku seemed confused, and Luka was really down. Then, this huge King Kong of a dude come up in this van and walks towards Miku. We were confused, and when he made her swallow something, Luka suddenly seemed to wake. Miku seemed to be scared out of her wits, as well… They fought a moment, and Miku's voice suddenly sounded like Miku, and her hair was un-painted, almost. The brown just washed away…and then humongous dude just pushes them both over the edge…" All classmates approve of these happenings, except there is another variation, later confirmed by the first. Apparently, Luka was pushed, then shoving Miku, breaking the railing. Luka then jumped after the star. All these happenings are extremely mysterious. We do not know what provoked all this. This is one big mystery. _

Miku put down the paper, and looked through the pile.

All the following papers talked about roughly the same, and as the days flew by, they slowly disappeared from the pages. Then, one from a few weeks ago, caught her eye.

_They Live!_

_The two stars seen plunging down the cliff exactly two months ago have reappeared at the memorial dedicated to them. As Miku's manager, Dorian, was speaking his words towards their memory at about noon, the duo have been seen walking out of the forest behind him. No photos have been taken, but witnesses say that they seemed destroyed. Luka was in Miku's arms, not moving, while the latter was all scratched, bruised, and had a surprisingly empty gaze. They walked through the crowd for a good ten minutes, and when Dorian tried to talk to the smaller star, she vividly protested in a wild way, reminding many of a lion protecting its cub. Then, the duo walked towards Meiko, an old friend of Luka's. After exchanging two words, the stars collapsed in front of their friends. Doctors say that they are in a surprisingly well state seeing everything they might have gone through. Both were famished and dehydrated, Luka paralyzed and Miku bearing multiple cuts, and her feet were worn to the point of bleeding profusely. Experts and doctors are at loss for an explanation. They assume Luka must have broken the fall, causing her state, and Miku must have taken them home. But they refuse the fact that they are alive. The cliff, five hundred feet deep, would have killed anything. Even if Luka would have broken the fall, they both should have died in less than a second. They say that they shouldn't, or even couldn't live right now. More on page 5. _

Miku put down the paper.

That question was interesting, actually. How did they survive? It was truly impossible.

She quickly ignored the question. The important was that they were both well right now. She didn't care about what should have happened.

She took today's paper from the pile.

_Megurine Luka to be operated today!_

_The two stars have been in the hospital for two weeks, now. Both were resting, Luka surviving thanks to Miku's magical touch._

Miku scoffed. Guess she skipped a chapter. But magical touch? Seriously? It was just a promise!

Shrugging off the idiocy of certain news reporters or whatever they were called, she continued reading.

_Luka's paralysis is to be cured today. However, doctors worry about the operation. They say that whenever Miku separates from Luka, the latter starts a panic attack, risking to put the operation in danger. More info on page 6._

Miku sighed and put the papers down. Everybody saw them as a miracle, it seemed.

But now Miku started to worry. She still had to take care of her 'dear Manager'. He was going to be fired for sure. In any case, she was going to fire him, finally.

A doctor entered the room.

"Well, it seems as if you are getting your information up to date. So, what do you think of your own incredible feats?" Miku laughed.

"All I did was survive, and rescue Luka. Nothing incredible!" the man smirked.

"Well, some are starting to say that you two are goddesses. The percent rate of your survival was less than one! It was practically impossible!" Miku shook her head.

"I don't care about what should have happened. I care about what has happened. And what did happen, was that I saved my friend, all the while keeping my skin" he nodded, still smiling.

"Well, I got a call from your manager, he says he wants to talk to you" the atmosphere froze over. It was so noticeable that even a nurse who was passing in front to the room looked through the glass to see what had happened.

Miku absolutely did not want to speak to that man. As long as she's glued to this chair, she's not seeing him for the world.

"I'm not talking to that man" the doctor chuckled nervously as he heard her poison-soaked voice.

"Well, I wouldn't let him, anyway. I don't want you to think about work until you both are perfectly fine. Let's see, another week for your feet, at least, then you can take some walking exercises, then you can leave. So about two weeks for you. For Luka, whenever she feels up to it. She will have to go around in a wheelchair, though. She will take small exercises at home. And slowly rise to her feet. So, you two can leave when you feel like it, minimum two weeks" Miku nodded, letting her anger for her manager dissipate.

"Good. Now, get some rest, you will have plenty of visitors this afternoon"

Miku nodded. As the man left the room, Miku fell asleep, not wanting to think about anything anymore.

00oo00

Meiko was trembling in excitement. The whole class was going to visit Miku and Luka in the hospital. The doctors have confirmed that the two were both strong enough to take that much agitation, both only needing a little time to cure. This would be the first time any of them could ever speak to the two stars in weeks.

Already in the newspapers, they were considered wonders. The surviving duo, the miraculous survivors, the ones who lived, were a few of the many names given to them. But Miku held a few of her own because of her 'magical touch'. Some were saying that because they lived through such an ordeal, they weren't even human anymore, so gained the ability to cure by touch. But of course, that was ridiculous.

But still, for them to live through that…

Now the whole class was silently walking through the halls, as not to disturb the patients.

"I hate hospitals, they give me the creeps" whined Gakupo.

The tall boy had been overjoyed when he knew that they were ok. He was so happy, he even threw a party at his house, and everybody was invited. Of course, the house was a catastrophe in the morning.

"You know, I don't really care right now" replied Meiko.

Everybody was carrying wide smiles at the idea of being able to talk to the two again. They had been greatly missed, and the students were very curious.

"Here they are. Even if we said that you could talk to them, remember; only Miku can speak, and Luka is still unconscious. Miku herself is traumatized by the happenings in the forest, so please; try not to remind her of what she did. We have noted that whenever Miku feels distressed, Luka also carries similar symptoms. So, try to be quiet, and try not to be nosy" said the doctor before opening the door.

The room was big, big enough for the whole class to enter. To the left side of the room lay the bed, with a few instruments next to it. In the bed, and next to the bed, slept the two superstars.

For the first few minutes, everybody observed the duo as they slept.

Miku wore much less bandages then when Meiko first visited. The only ones who remained were on her arm and feet. Luka seemed like she was sleeping, save for the few needles and the beeping monitor next to her.

But what grabbed everybody's attention were their linked hands. So, what the news said was true; not once did Miku every let go of her friend.

Miku moved a bit in her sleep, eyebrow twitching a little. She was sitting in a comfortable chair, her feet from the ground. Meiko felt the craving to sit in that chair; it looked so comfy.

"Were does she sleep?" asked Teto. The teacher answered in a whisper.

"Doctors say that she refuses to leave this spot. She sleeps, eats, and stays here"

Slowly, everybody digested the details. Miku really never left, then.

"Does anybody want to wake her up?" asked Gakupo. Meiko nearly smacked him upside the head.

"Can't you see that they're sleeping? They probably need it, too!" the purple-haired boy huffed. "Look, I know you want to know what happened, but we aren't allowed to ask, anyway. Miku is traumatized, remember?"

Miku groaned when Meiko hissed the words, and started rubbing her eyes. Everybody held their breaths as she sat straight.

"Miku?"

Miku slowly turned in her seat, still rubbing her eyes. She seemed a little confused, but then a small smile cracked in her face.

"M-Meiko?" the brunette grinned. Miku looked at the two boys. "And Kaito…and purple-noodle brain" she slowly mumbled, earning a glare from the insulted friend. "What are you doing here?" she asked slowly.

"Hey, I haven't seen you for weeks, and that's how you greet me?" Miku laughed, still half-asleep. This time, Meiko smacked him upside the head; hard.

"Sorry, not fully awake, yet…" she stretched, and yawned again, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Ah, yes…it's four-thirty" suddenly, she realized. "OMG! How are you guys? How long has it been?" the class was puzzled at her sudden outburst. Was she awake yet? "Hey! I fall from a cliff, trek through a forest, barely survive, the whole time saving my best friend, and I'm not allowed to be a little slow every now and then?" she said with a smirk. Meiko laughed.

"I guess" Kaito rubbed the brunette's head.

"Heh, to answer your questions, we are all fine, and it has been almost three months" Miku smiled.

"Finally somebody reasonable!" Neru stepped forward, Len in tow. Miku blanched.

"You…" the blonde pushed the boy forward, and Miku sat as far back in her seat as possible.

Everybody looked at the monitor as the beeping suddenly accelerated. Wasn't the machine hooked onto Luka? If Miku was the one panicking, why was Luka doing the same?

Miku stared at the blonde boy with fear and anger.

This boy…had caused all this.

"You!" Len backed up a bit, and lowered his head.

"Look, I know this isn't the perfect place to talk about this, and I'm willing to talk about it later, with Luka too, seeing she's been brought into all this… for the moment, I just want to say I'm sorry" Miku relaxed a bit, but kept her angry scowl.

"And why should I believe you?" Neru stepped forward.

"He told me everything. Let me tell you, he has been feeling terribly guilty the first week after you fell. His apology is sincere"

The whole class was a bit appalled by this conversation. What did Len have to do with this?

"None of your business, folks!" said Neru in their direction after hearing the whispers. "But…I have a few questions, that we are all asking ourselves" Meiko knew what she was going to ask.

"Neru, no! You know-"

"I know that your survival was impossible. Five hundred feet, even with trees and water to break you fall, is certain death for any living being. You should have died there and then. But then, the whole story of going through the forest…impossible. You couldn't have survived that. You should have died" Miku looked at her, gaze growing empty. "Not that I wanted you to die or anything like that, it's just that it's exaggerated. It's impossible. It's a feat from a story, not an exploit in reality. How did you live?" Miku looked down.

"I have no answer. All I know was that, after the fall…everything went black. I fainted before I crashed in pure fear, I guess. Then, I woke up…all alone…and Luka was bleeding, not moving…" she started trembling, her eyes getting watery. "All those birds, they kept coming…and that bear…I was all alone" she started falling back into her chair. Everybody saw the memories flood back in front of her eyes. When the doctors said she was traumatized, they didn't exaggerate, apparently.

Neru seemed cold.

"A bear, seriously? You fought off a bear? Wounded, hungry, alone? I'm telling you, you should have died!" Miku looked up at her.

She slowly seemed to regain focus.

"Why don't you believe me?" Neru shook her head.

"Because it's impossible!" Miku looked down at her right arm, and undid the bandage.

A long gash went from her shoulder to her elbow. Even if it was almost healed, they could all tell it was deep. She looked up towards the blonde.

"I had a spear. But the bear managed to make a mark. And look at my hands" everybody focused on her hands.

Scratched, bruised, and visibly tired.

"And final proof" Miku leaned over and undid the bandages on her feet.

The entire class gasped, and the teacher fled the room, seeking a bathroom.

"I did this only by walking. You can say I was tired" said Miku, wrapping the bandages back. Neru scoffed.

"You shouldn't have those wounds. You should have died from the start" Miku grinned.

"Then having them is proof enough that I'm alive, right?" Neru didn't reply, and Miku leaned her head against the free hand.

"Besides, I don't give the smallest bit of care about what should have happened" she looked up into Neru's eyes. "I care about what happened" she knew she said it already, but she'll say it as much time necessary. "I care about the fact that we will both be perfectly fine, and will leave this hospital unscathed"

Suddenly, Miku seemed alert, attentive, almost shocked. She looked down at her hand.

Luka's fingers were slowly wrapping around Miku's.

The smaller girl felt tears come to her eyes, and the whole class stared in confusion.

"That's…the first thing she's done in…weeks" Miku bit her lip. Her first movement, the first sign of life.

Her efforts really, now surely, weren't in vain.

Miku remembered everything she had done. Now, she was absolutely sure that they were all for something. Everything had a reason now. Every drop of blood spilt now had a purpose.

The class watched as Miku cried in sheer joy and relief.

What has she gone through? What hell has she walked past?

"I nearly died" the entire class jumped when Miku threw that out. "I nearly died dozens of times. I don't know how I lived, but I'm sure I grazed death more than once" tears kept streaming down her cheeks, to land on her lap.

The whole class saw the remains of the previous tears, from the days before. Miku had cried dozens of times. How far had she gone, how scared had she been?

The teacher, who had recovered a few minutes before, ushered the whole class outside as Miku looked at their intertwined hands.

Miku was so happy. No, that was an understatement. She was so relieved. The whole world was bright and happy, completely to the contrary of how she was feeling hours before. Then, she shed tears of fear and despair, no it was tears of joy and relief.

Meiko watched from outside, from the other side of the glass window.

What has Miku been through? Bears, death even…what more? Now, she was starting questioning her humanity herself.

And yet, Miku was so happy, right now. The complete smile on Miku's face had brightened the mood immediately.

Everybody knew that the duo had gone through a lifetime of efforts in a few days. It was incredible.

The teacher told them that the bus was to come soon, so Meiko, with Kaito's arm around her shoulder, started off with the rest of the class.

Miku didn't know how long she had been sitting there, just watching Luka sleep, a smile plastered on her face, tears staining her clothes.

Whatever happened, she wasn't alone anymore. Luka was going to come back, they would be perfectly normal again. They would resume their lives, sing and laugh together. It would be as if the whole ordeal had never happened.

The beeping on the monitor increased slightly, but Miku didn't pay mind.

When Luka moved her head, her forehead creasing a little, Miku gasped.

With a small groan, Luka opened her eyes.

Miku stared in wonder. She was awake. After so long, those beautiful blue eyes opened.

Miku held her breath as Luka sat up, using her free arm. She was stunning, a sleeping beauty that had just awoken. Her eyes looked around the room, seeming slightly dazed and puzzled. She seemed to be wondering where she was, how long she had been there.

Miku couldn't breathe. She was as if under a spell, not moving, barely blinking.

Luka continued to look around, like a newborn animal familiarizing with its surroundings. She moved slowly, a little clumsily, but moved nonetheless. She was fully cured from the whole adventure.

Miku continued to watch as she gently touched the covers, and looked out the window. But she felt her heart twist when Luka's eyes met hers.

For the first time in months, Miku was looking directly into those deep blue eyes. They were the most beautiful jewels to have ever existed. If one day the ocean disappeared, Miku would find them in those eyes.

"Miku…"

Her voice rang clear like a bell. New, rejuvenated. Miku felt another tear roll down.

Her heart nearly seemed to shatter when Luka looked away, down towards their intertwined hands.

Miku suddenly remembered. She had admitted she liked the taller girl.

Her gut clenched. What was Luka going to say? What was going to happen?

Miku started drowning in a similar whirlpool of fear like the one from mere hours before.

Scared, Miku tried to take her hand away. She nearly winced when Luka took a firmer grip, keeping their fingers intertwined. The taller girl looked back at her savior.

"Miku"

Luka slowly raised their hands up to between their faces. It seemed almost agonizingly slow as she moved, slowly shifting as their hands broke the contact between their eyes.

Miku had no idea what to do. She seemed lost, afraid, happy, confused. She had no idea what to feel.

Luka twisted her arm, Miku letting her do so. The taller girl studied her own movements, seeming to take in the fact that she was actually moving on her own. And yet her eyes seemed a little empty.

Luka lowered their hands again, but not all the way, and looked back at Miku.

"Luka…?" Miku felt afraid. What was Luka going to say? Or do?

She got her answer straight after. Luka pulled slightly of her hand, and pressed her lips against hers.

Miku was in shock, an explosion erupting everywhere in her body. What did this mean? Did she…?

Miku couldn't move as Luka slowly kissed her. Her movements were slow and gentle, almost careful. As if she were scared of her reaction, yet certain that nothing bad was going to happen.

Miku was appalled. And yet she felt a warm feeling spread through her stomach, spreading through her limbs. She felt extremely happy all of a sudden.

She gently put her free hand on Luka's shoulder, still pretty much immobile, but feeling a numbing bliss.

"Miku…" Luka whispered, breaking the kiss. Miku looked deep in her eyes, and saw what she had always wanted to see.

Love. A gentle, yet passionate love glowed in Luka's sapphire eyes.

"I…" Luka didn't manage to finish her sentence. She seemed tired all of a sudden.

Miku understood. This was the first time moved in weeks, and she just had an operation. It was logic she was exhausted.

"Shhh, it's ok, lay down" Miku pushed gently on her shoulder, feeling like a mother treating her child. It felt nice and heartwarming.

Luka didn't refuse, and lay down on the bed, still looking slightly dazed.

"Miku?" the girl seemed to want answers, all of a sudden, as if she just woke up. Miku smiled.

"We're in a hospital, Luka, for a few weeks already. You have been operated, and now you are completely ok. Now, it's beginning June, almost the end of the school year" Luka didn't react. "Now sleep, I'll stay here"

With a sigh, Luka closed her eyes again, leaving Miku with a warm heart.


	10. Out And About

Miku sat in her chair leaning on her free hand, eyes half-open and a stupid smile plastered on her face.

She realized only moments after the kiss that the world was now absolutely perfect. Her friends and classmates have accepted her truth, her true identity. Then, she was alive, Luka was alive, they were all going to be ok, and…

Luka had kissed her. Miku still didn't know exactly why the girl had done that, but the moment was now certainly the most shocking, blissful and most perfect moment of her life. Nothing seemed wrong or out of place right now, even Dorian. In fact, she could practically thank him right now. If he weren't there, they wouldn't have really gotten to meet.

Miku's eyes glazed over as she re-played the scene in her mind for the thousandth time. Every detail was as sharp as glass, every emotion was as present as a black dot on white paper, and they were engraved in her memory for the rest of existence. Over and over, she re-experienced the absolute bliss and happiness. Her only regret was not having kissed the girl back.

Miku didn't even look up when the doctor entered the room. He saw her absolutely stupid-happy face with the crooked smile and the empty eyes. She was stroking the back of Luka's hand and was breathing deeply but evenly, as if she were sleeping. He knew something was up.

The man smiled, something must have happened.

"Well, did she wake up already?" he asked. Miku hummed in approval, not waking from her trance. She couldn't seem happier.

The man shook his head. He had seen all kinds of happy and relieved faces, but this was one of the rarer ones.

"What did she say?" he interrogated, sitting down. She tilted her head a little, still smiling stupidly.

"My name…" with a smile and a nod, he took out his clipboard. Did he have to do an interrogation now?

"It's surprising for her to wake up so soon. What did she do?"

"I don't know…" the man was a little puzzled at that one. She didn't know?

"What did she manage to do, then?" he tried. Miku still didn't exit from happy-world.

"Sit up, move her arms…lean…" he nodded. It seems as if Luka was curing faster than he thought.

"Call us when she wakes up again, alright?" she nodded absentmindedly, and he left the room to leave her with her friend.

The closeness between the two girls was astonishing. He knew nobody who would go as far for a friend. But then again, were the two just friends?

Most of the world was already asking this question. Were the two really just friends? They seemed so close the whole time, and so willing to help the other.

And even for lovers, it's amazing. Normally it would have been a Romeo and Juliette tragedy, with both lovers dying at the foot of the cliff…and yet they both live, only to help the other survive.

Experts were sure; without Luka, Miku wouldn't have survived through the forest, she would have gone absolutely mad. And the same for Luka. Without the other, they would have died.

But was that really a proof of love or affection? They could just be really close friends.

The man sighed as he took a glass of water from the cooler.

No, they were way more than close friends, probably even more than an average married couple.

Their link was…deep. Deeper than the sea. He knew that if one died prematurely, the other would just gradually destroy herself.

He wasn't a huge fan of homosexuality, but this was not to be neglected. This bond between the two was superb. And it wasn't just chemistry. No, it was their entire beings. Nothing inside of them or outside of them in particular bound them together. It was their entire body and mind. They were two pieces of a puzzle, two halves of a circle.

It is powerful enough to make them survive a fatal fall.

With a smile, he thought that maybe, homosexuality wasn't wrong or disgusting at all.

* * *

><p>Miku didn't know that day had already come. How long had she been staring there? All night? All morning as well?<p>

Likely, maybe.

Miku removed her head from her hand to caress Luka's cheek. Her smile deepened as Luka leaned into her hand, and smiled as well in her sleep.

Did Luka really like her back?

Maybe, hopefully.

At that moment Luka groaned and stretched a little, but didn't move too much. She opened an eye, her gaze crossing Miku's.

"Good morning" murmured the latter. Luka smiled, and closed her eyes contentedly.

"Is it really morning?" her voice rung like a bell, new and refreshed.

"I don't know" Luka laughed. Absolute music.

"Gosh… where am I? I think I'm missing a chapter or three…" Miku didn't move, just responded slowly.

"We fell down a cliff, you got paralyzed, I got you out of there, we ended up in a hospital thanks to Meiko, you got operated and then you kissed me" she resumed quietly. Luka sighed.

"Wow… did I really do that?" Miku nodded.

"It's nice to hear your voice again…"

It was true. Miku was now experiencing heaven just be hearing her voice speaking real, strong though somewhat slow sentences. Luka smiled.

"It's nice to do something again…" she spoke, her eyes still locked with Miku's. "Thanks, Miku. For saving me"

"Thank you for saving me" replied the smaller girl. Luka laughed.

"I still can't believe you fought off that bear" Luka's eyes rested on her arm. She slowly reached up and caressed the bandage. "For me…"

The atmosphere felt comfortable, and yet it felt awkward. They were talking as if Luka had just taken a nap, not as if both had just escaped death. And yet it felt…good. It felt good to be familiar with the other no matter what.

"You have no idea how scared I was" whispered Miku. Luka smiled.

"You have no idea how helpless I felt. I'm so happy you were there" Miku hummed a little, and Luka joined her. World's End Dance know that?" added the teal-haired diva. Luka's eyes widened.

"Really?" Miku chuckled a little.

"Not really, but they are covered in blisters. I haven't walked in weeks" Luka's expression saddened.

"Why did you go so far for me?" Miku smiled.

"Because I love you, and the last thing I want is to see you die"

The phrase hung for a while, and yet the atmosphere still didn't change. Luka just smiled.

"I'm happy to hear that" Miku smiled as well. Luka sighed as Miku pressed the button, calling the doctor.

Not minutes later doctors were rushing in front of the glass window, some coming in, all taking notes and running tests.

Luka felt scared at first, then strange. These were the first people she saw in a long time, and they were all running around like crazy ducks. But when Miku tightened her grip on her hand, she immediately felt better.

Miku recognized the doctor from earlier.

"Hello, Miku. Sorry for all the ruckus, but we were all waiting for this moment so much" he spoke with a kind smile. Miku still partly wore her dazed expression, but she did seem more awake.

"Can I study your feet?" Miku nodded, and leaned backwards so that he could gain access to the bandages.

Luka difficultly leaned over the bed to see how bad Miku's feet were. She felt incredibly guilty for inflicting her pain. No matter how much Miku said she loved her, Luka still felt it was a stupid excuse. She really didn't have to do that.

And Luka still didn't know how to react to Miku's confession. She loved her…and Luka had kissed her.

Luka felt that they were a little stuck in romance for some reason. Even if they conversed normally, something deep down, something felt stuck.

Luka could barely remember the kiss, and yet the feeling of Miku's lips against hers' was extremely present. She knew she had done that.

Luka didn't know what was stuck. Normally everything should be fine. And yet…

Luka realized it with a face-palm if she could have moved her arms well enough. Despite her capacity to move, everything felt…rusty and slow.

She hadn't told Miku she loved her as much. She hadn't told her that her feelings were so strong that just the belief of not being trusted by her sent Luka into depression. Even if Luka had kissed her, nobody said it was out of love.

Luka wanted to face-palm again. Why was love always so repetitive? A new vocabulary needed to be invented, everything always cliché.

Luka was suddenly helped up to a seating position and given a plate of food, and straight away the doctors left the room, writing things. Miku smiled at her.

"As soon as you feel strong enough you are allowed to leave, but I need to stay another week. My blisters have healed enough, so tomorrow I'll go to the gym for those exercises" Luka smiled, ignoring the food.

"I'll leave when you're ready to"

"You don't have to wait for me"

"I _can't _leave without you" Miku shook her head.

"Nonsense. Come, you haven't eaten anything that didn't come from tubes in days" Miku scooped a spoonful of yogurt and Luka slowly ate it.

She was finally eating something solid (even if it's yogurt).

Luka couldn't describe it. She was being fed like a child by the girl she loved, and it was the first thing she was eating in days.

Her stomach couldn't feel better.

After the yogurt was emptied, Luka devoured the tuna, the salad and the bread. When she was done, all that was left was the dessert; a small cup of strawberries.

Luka was still hungry, so why not? And they looked really good, too.

Miku tsked and swept away the cup. Luka looked at her with mournful eyes.

"Doesn't the hero get something to eat, too?" she demanded. Luka scoffed.

"I saved you first" Miku kept her stance.

"I don't care. What I did was harder" Luka pouted.

"But you didn't have to do all that. I didn't ask anything" Miku pouted as well.

"Good point, good point…" Luka took on a triumphant expression.

"Then gimme the strawberries!" what? She was hungry. Miku smirked and picked one from the rest. It was big, red and clearly very juicy and sweet. Luka really wanted that one in particular.

"Hero gets first pick!" yelled Miku before plopping it in her mouth.

Luka smirked as well. If she was going to play like this, then why not? She leaned forward and smashed her lips to Miku's, determined to get the strawberry. Miku was wide-eyed again, and froze for a moment, letting Luka get into her mouth and take a grab for the fruit.

Miku quickly replied though, and the following could be described as either a very passionate kiss or a very strange war for a simple fruit.

Their tongues battled for the strawberry, Luka pulling weakly on Miku's shoulder as Miku sat back in her chair. They stared straight in each other's eyes, an aura of defiance and playfulness hanging around them. They knew exactly what they were doing, and yet they had no idea.

Only when Luka managed to bite half of the fruit and claim it for herself did realization dawn upon the two girls.

Luka slowly swallowed her half, still staring straight into Miku's eyes. In total, this was their third kiss. Now, who had started this one? Miku, by stealing the strawberry, or Luka?

She didn't really care, and closed her eyes, slowly kissing the girl. She savored the remaining taste of the fruit they had fought over and the feeling of Miku's lips against hers'. And the feeling of happiness only increased when Miku kissed her back.

It was a real rollercoaster of emotions. Bliss, happiness, nothing that hasn't been said already yet something that just couldn't possibly be described.

It was sweet and sour, forbidden yet right. Even so, neither would do anything to change this moment for the world.

For a few minutes they just sat there, kissing each other gently and carefully after the full-fledged war. They still held hands, Luka with her free hand on Miku's shoulder and Miku with hers' around Luka's waist.

Miku pulled away for air, and she observed Luka's eyes.

She didn't know what this meant. Was Luka playing with her? Or did she really like her back? It still wasn't clear for her. This feeling of not being certain was pulling her apart.

And yet, it didn't remove any of the bliss she had experienced.

Luka was staring back at her with those same eyes as the previous afternoon. Filled with love and affection.

The taller girl smiled.

"Guess we both win, then" she said with a smirk. Miku pouted a bit. Luka only leaned closer. "We both get the strawberry, we both save each other's lives, and we both love each other. Is one of us at a disadvantage?"

Miku could only look at her with wide eyes.

Even if she suspected it, finally hearing it was the best kind of music to her ears. It sent a jolt to her stomach, and a cloud to her head.

It was heaven. Absolute heaven, relief and joy.

Miku closed the gap between the two, and both got lost in their feelings.

* * *

><p>Meiko sat down on the bench, waiting for the train.<p>

How she hated Mondays. They told her that it was the end of the resting period of the week and the beginning of the long work part.

But nevertheless, the smiled. She was going to see Kaito…

After Luka and Miku had come back, Meiko and Kaito had been able to become a real couple. They went on dates, shared meals, kissed ever now and then instead of Kaito having a depressed Meiko leaning against his shoulder and constantly wiping away her tears.

A man who was passing suddenly just stopped in front of her, his head burying on the newspaper. He looked at her, and she went on defensive mode. Whatever this dude wanted, she wasn't going to let him have it easily. Nor wallet, nor anything else.

The man carefully approached her, and opened the newspaper.

"Say, can you read this part for me?" he pointed at the title. Gee, the title? That's the easiest part to read!

But that's it?

Meiko shrugged and started reading.

"The famous Megurine Luka finally arises from her slumber…" she stared with wide eyes at the rest of the article.

Apparently she was ok, was going to walk soon, had been eating well and had shown positive feedback… she was ok.

She was fine.

She was saved.

At the same time, both man and girl started cheering. They smiled, yelled and danced, and they didn't care.

The duo went from person to person, telling the news. Most everybody immediately reacted, smiling and cheering as well.

The whole world had been waiting for this moment. For Luka to wake up and be judged fine.

When Meiko arrived at school, the man had gotten off at an earlier station for work, but she was still cheering and yelling the news at everybody she saw.

At school, she only yelled the news once and everybody knew. Teachers opened bottles of champagne, and school was off for the whole afternoon.

Gakupo had started weeping of pure happiness on the floor, and all the couples had started embracing in absolute joy and relief.

Everybody was now in the gym, music blaring loudly and everybody dancing. The teachers had also rejoiced and had given them a party morning. Now everybody was dancing and singing, mostly to the duo's music. Gakupo stepped up to the microphone when the music softened.

Everybody silenced.

"I have been waiting for this moment for so long… Luka, our diva, has finally woken up from her unconscious state" Meiko rolled her eyes at his big words "but we have somebody to thank" at this, he grabbed everybody's attention.

"If it weren't for Hatsune, Luka wouldn't have fallen off the cliff in the first place. But, Luka jumped from her own will, so we need to spare Miku from any sour opinions. She saved Luka. Clearly she felt guilty, and risked her life to save Luka. And from what she said herself, she even fought off a bear, and has the scar to remember. We talked to Miku, last Friday. When Neru asked her about the forest, she seemed as if she was going back to hell. I don't think anybody could have stood as big as a chance as Miku. She went to the moon and back for Luka. It is her we must thank. We mustn't care anymore if she is the unpopular scum by the name f Hatsune of the diva by the name of Miku; she is the hero of the day, the girl who saved our friend, Hatsune Miku. From now on, I shall respect her like my equal!" everybody cheered and clapped at the small speech. Gakupo was brave doing this, he was scared of crowds, normally. But Luka could do anything to him.

Meiko stepped up to the microphone as well, Kaito following close behind.

"I've known both Luka and Hatsune for a long time. Luka was a friend and Hatsune was a toy. When Luka became friends with her, I was baffled at first. Then I got to know Hatsune better. Hatsune Miku is actually a very nice, at first shy person. She doesn't seek fame, only a normal life. She can probably be one of the best friends anybody could ever have. She went to the end for Luka, and she will not expect a reward, I am sure of that. If any of you consider her anything more or less than a human being, then it will break her heart. All she wanted was a normal life, and then this gorilla dude reveals her secret… Luka jumped for her, and Miku brought her back. They both deserve a cheer!" once again, the room filled with cheers. Kaito didn't give a speech, nor did Neru or Haku, but Len stepped up to the stage.

"A whole lot has happened, and I need to say that it is mostly my fault. But now, things are different, and I greatly regret having brought this to our two stars, divas, and friends. Once I can, I will make things right!" everybody cheered for the boy's courage, and Rin jumped up to him.

"Good shota brother! I'll give you some bananas when we get home!" Len scowled and walked off stage with his twin.

Meiko jumped when she heard the bells ring. She was going to pay a visit to her friends right now.

* * *

><p>Miku and Luka were both sat in wheelchairs and headed towards the gym.<p>

Right now, things were great between the two. It couldn't be better, in fact.

But now, Miku was feeling a bit anxious. For the first time in weeks, she was going to put her feet on the floor. The last time she did that, it hurt badly. But Luka was holding her hand, so she felt reassured.

The gym was vast. Big and all directions, filled with devices some Miku didn't even want to know were used for.

She was rolled up to a smaller contraption with two parallel bars and a mattress between the two.

The nurse set her in front of the contraption, and Luka was led a little to the side.

"Try walking on the mattress, use the bars to support yourself if it hurts too much" Miku nodded, and prepared to stand.

How silly, doing an action she used to do every day with such a grave expression.

Miku gently put a foot on the ground, and relaxed a little when she felt nothing painful. The second foot followed, and she slowly rose.

Miku winced a little when her toes stung, and she took hold of the bars. This was going to be harder than she thought.

Miku slowly advanced on the mattress, some steps hurting while others didn't. The bars had almost no use, but she used them whenever she tripped a little.

Luka watched from a distance with a smile on her face as the nurses monitored Miku.

Luka couldn't be happier. Now, the world seemed almost perfect. Only one thing was left to finish.

Dorian.

Luka now hated the man with a burning passion. Next time she saw him, she was going to roll over his balls with this very wheelchair. For him to do such things to such a sweet girl…

Miku had already told Luka about Len. They still weren't sure about him, but they were giving him a chance. Even if he did kiss Miku forcefully, probably more than once, the memory causing Luka to growl.

The pink-haired diva watched as Miku carefully treaded on the mattress. As she arrived at the other end of the bars, the nurse removed the mattress, and told Miku to try and walk back.

Luka practically winced whenever Miku did. The solid ground was hurting more than the soft, plushy mattress.

But Luka was still feeling guilty about the state of Miku's feet, the very reason the girl was here. Miku really didn't have to go that far. And yet she did…

Miku groaned and sat back in her chair. That must have been tiring, after not walking in so long.

Luka herself could only move slowly and clumsily, and only her upper body. Her legs seemed to sleep, still. Sure, she could move her toes, in particular her little left one, but that was pretty much it.

Miku rolled in Luka's direction.

"Aren't we a bunch? We both sacrificed our legs for the other!" she spoke sarcastically. Luka chuckled.

"But I don't think I regret it, though!" Miku laughed as well.

The door opening grabbed the two girl's attention, as well as the nurse's.

"I don't care if it's not time for visitors! I wanna see them, you bald Frankenstein!" came a yell.

Luka went wide-eyed. That voice, that expression…

"Meiko!" she yelled, eyes tearing up.

When was the last time she had heard that voice, seen her face? They had been friends since forever, seeing her again after so long felt…great.

Immediately the brunette ran into the room, in the two diva's direction.

"Hey, Luka! How are you? Do you know how worried we all were?" Meiko was yelling things without specific importance or order, just prancing around her long lost friend. Luka laughed at some of the nonsense while Miku smiled at the reunion.

Meiko paused for a moment.

"But seriously, Luka! You should have seen Miku when she came out of the forest! She was absolutely crazy! And after…gee, she wouldn't leave your side! I swear, if anybody would have poked her, she would have gone mad and ransacked the whole place on less than three seconds! Then, walk on like nothing happened. She looked like a murderer, the most desperate person ever!"

Miku blushed while Luka chuckled.

"That doesn't really surprise me. You should have seen her against the bear" she complimented, making Miku's face go redder.

"So, Miku. How is it to talk to Luka again after so long?" asked Meiko. Miku smiled, still red.

"Absolutely great"

"You bet it is! This morning, when the news came out, the whole school went wild!" Luka froze.

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't been around for three months, you rascal! Three months! And when you finally woke up, you expect us to take it lightly? No, puree!" Luka stared at Miku.

"Three months?"

"Yep"

"You stayed with me for three full months?"

"Almost three full months!" Meiko interrupted. The two stars ignored her interjection.

"Yes, I did"

Luka smiled warmly. Had she known…

Did Miku really go that far just for her? She still couldn't believe it.

Meiko looked around.

"Say, what is this place? A gym?" Miku answered for the two.

"I need to revive my legs after sitting for so long. It will take a few days. Then we can go back to school" Meiko clapped her hands like a little child.

"Yay! You guys are coming back soon!" suddenly, her watch beeped. "Darn, I gotta go. See you!" and without wasting a second, she disappeared.

"Has she always been so quick?" Luka nodded. "I see…"

A question popped up in Miku's mind.

"Say…should we tell the others about…us?" the nurses didn't hear her, they were too far away talking about some official stuff. The question hit Luka a little harder than expected.

Luka thought about this carefully.

Meiko surely wouldn't mind. Kaito wouldn't be much of a problem, either. But Gakupo… he was going to take some time convincing. Then again, with them the word will spread fast. The whole school will soon know, then the whole world…the two divas could then say goodbye to their reputation.

Such romance was frowned upon these days. Them being together could possibly ruin their lives. Then there was Luka's parents, which she still hasn't seen. Luka didn't want to ruin Miku's life in such a way. She wanted them to be happy for as long as possible. The last thing she wanted was for Miku to regret being with her, the mere thought sent her stomach to hell lane.

And yet, she didn't want to hide their love. She didn't want to be ashamed of something so beautiful.

And yet…she didn't want to ruin their lives.

"I think we should keep cover for a few weeks, then tell them when it seems best" explained Luka slowly. Miku nodded.

"I agree. Also, I don't want to piss off your parents" Luka patted her head with a clumsy hand.

"Don't worry, they'll take it ok, I hope" the nurses came back in their direction.

"Miku, do you want to try again?" asked the elder lady. The smaller diva nodded, and restarted the exercise.

Luka watched from a distance again, with a warm smile covering her features.

She was so lucky to have Miku. She was…absolutely and adorably perfect. Brave, funny, protective and a little (a lot) possessive. Luka understood why she fell in love with her. Big, deep teal eyes, long teal hair, soft skin, she couldn't complain about pretty much anything about the smaller girl.

Miku tried so hard for everything, it was a wonder she was still alive. Literally. She always tried to please as much people as possible with her music, always did her very best at school, and went to the death itself to keep Luka alive. She would do anything to be content, it seems.

Luka was so happy to be hers.

* * *

><p>Three days have passed since Luka had awaken. Miku could now walk, only tripping every now and then as long as she wore nice, thick, comfy socks. Luka was still pretty immobile, but was moving more every day.<p>

The whole class had visited again, and Luka was overjoyed to see her friends again. Gakupo had started weeping happy tears when he saw her, and she felt slightly bad that she was breaking his heart by being with Miku.

Luka's parents had visited the first day, overjoyed and crying. They thanked Miku over and over again, the smaller diva insisting that it was thanks to Luka that she survived, but to no avail. Luka playfully left her to endure the thankful torture.

Luka felt so happy seeing her parents again, but at the same time, she felt a little fear. How would the two react when they learned that the two divas were going out? And madly in love, at that? Seriously, if they weren't still in school and were in the state to, they would have gotten married straight away.

Speaking of Miku, the two had grown incredibly close, even for lovers. They didn't need much physical contact to be happy, only a kiss every now and then. But they held hands almost constantly, whispered things, and just relished in moments when they were alone together. Of course, every now and then they had a little fun.

They both felt complete with the other, just by sitting side by side. They complemented each other, one filling the other's flaws, making them the fitting pieces of a puzzle, each a half of the yin-yang.

They didn't tell anybody about their relationship, though the doctor seemed to know. He kept talking about an electric feeling every time he entered the room, making both girls blush a little.

They also felt it. Every time they touched, a small zap seemed to go through their spines. They even felt it in the air.

Neither thought about anything outside of the hospital. For the moment, they were both resting, forgetting a little, just being happy at the other's side.

Miku stood up from her chair, which she had kept for sentimental reasons, and stroked Luka's sleeping face.

She was so beautiful…

Miku grinned when Luka leaned into her touch. It was a little ritual for them, now. Miku would wake up, then wake Luka. They wanted to consciously be at the other's side as much as possible.

Miku whispered into her ear that it was time to get up with a little reluctance, and Luka tiredly opened her eyes.

"Good morning…" she whispered back, stretching a little. Miku smiled.

"You know that I hate waking you up, just because you look so peaceful"

"I wouldn't be peaceful if you left this room" the smaller girl rolled her eyes.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"Great. Just my legs are stiff, as usual"

"Don't worry, you'll feel them soon" Luka stuck her tongue out.

"You're the one walking!" Miku patted her head.

"I know, I know, sweetie. But seriously, you'll feel better soon" the doctor entered just then.

"Hello, you two. As usual, up at quarter to nine. Always on schedule" Miku grinned.

"The music industry rubbed off on me" she spoke, still caressing Luka's head. The man smiled.

"You two are so incredibly close, some could almost say that you aren't even friends anymore" Miku reddened a little.

"Stop teasing, senpai!" scolded the pink-haired diva. The man laughed.

"Well, just saying that you could both go home early this afternoon. Miku can walk well enough from our studies. Luka will go by wheelchair. You can both go to school next Monday. Work will have to wait a little longer" both divas smiled at the news. They were finally getting out of here!

"Oh, and I would be careful for the media. Too much excitation is not good for either of you right now. Try to avoid the crowds"

"Got that. And even if they do manage to see us, then I'll handle them" the man laughed at this, and Luka grinned.

"I'm sure you can do that" he stated.

"If you fought away a bear, then you can fight away the press" stated the girl. The doctor froze.

"Wait, the bear story is true?" the two girls grinned.

"You bet it is!" he rubbed his head.

"Well, what have not done?" Miku responded quickly.

"I haven't died" both girls laughed.

* * *

><p>Miku and Luka felt like fish in an aquarium.<p>

It was five in the afternoon, and they were getting out of the hospital. Except the voyage seemed longer than it actually was.

Everybody was staring at them with wide eyes. Miku's bandage on her arm didn't go unnoticed, either, nor their still linked hands resting on Luka's left shoulder.

Miku watched all these people with wary eyes. She had gotten un-used to crowds with the time; she was feeling wary and careful. Luka had the same problem, except she was feeling terribly shy. Only Miku's hand around hers' reassured her.

All these people, all these judging eyes, it scared the duo. They felt like deer in the headlights, served on a plate with an apple in their mouths. And yet, Miku had cold eyes. She felt extremely protective right now.

The first person stepping out of the crowd is going to get it. Badly.

When they stepped outside, the fresh air hit them straight in their faces. It was definitely summer, right now. Mid-June weather. Warm, soft breeze, the comfortable, recognizable cliché.

Both smiled at the fresh air. Trees, grass, cars, all these normal things that they haven't seen in what seemed ages.

Some people recognized them, but kept their distance. They were wise.

Miku walked towards the street. Crypton had promised that a limo would be there to pick them up, and that it would be completely empty besides the chauffeur. Everybody was a bit surprised at this, but nobody knew of Dorian's attempts.

When the vehicle rolled up, Miku quickly helped Luka in and folded the chair before following.

"So, how's it like to be outside, finally?" asked the smaller diva to her girlfriend. Luka smiled.

"Scary" Miku put her head on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. I feel exactly the same" Luka rested her head on Miku's and they held the position until they arrived at Luka's house.

Miku carefully helped Luka get out of the car and into her chair before leading her to her own doorstep.

Luka felt strange coming back here. It had been so long…it felt nostalgic.

Without ringing the doorbell, the two girls let themselves in. Miku felt a little shy about doing so, but Luka assured her that they wouldn't mind.

"I'm home!" called out the pink-haired diva. Chaos ensued.

For the next four hours or so, the whole family celebrated. The parents were overjoyed, opened champagne, and called all of their relatives. Minutes later cousins entered the house with their own parents and their relatives as well. It seemed as if the whole family tree had entered the room.

Miku was able to meet Luka's entire family, and everybody seemed so honored to get to know her. She was in the middle of a feast of praises and congratulations. If she got one yen for every compliment she heard that evening, she would have twice as much money then she actually had now.

For the whole while the duo were asked questions as usual, which they politely refused to answer. Soon they would all know their story, when they would be ready to tell it.

Miku collapsed on the couch, Luka next to her in her own chair.

"I've never been hearing so many polite things in my direction…" exhaled the crippled star. Miku smiled.

"Then you'll have to get used to it. Do you know how many I've heard?" Luka grinned.

"I could only imagine" at that moment, a girl with bright red hair entered the room and collapsed next to Miku. The diva didn't really mind until the girl started staring at her. Suddenly, she stuck out her hand.

"Hi! I'm Miki, Luka's cousin's father's sister's son's cousin!" she exclaimed. Miku hardly understood what exactly she was, but shook her hand nevertheless. "And you're Miku!" Miku nodded sheepishly. Miki started jumping up and down with joy. "Do you know how jealous everybody at my school is because my relative has saved and has been saved by the famous Miku? And you're friends, too! This is so exiting!" she squealed, jumping for joy. Luka stared at her in wonder.

"How do you know me, but I don't know you?" Miki took on a 'duh' expression.

"Because you're all over the news, dumbie!" Miku nodded.

"She had a point"

"Yay! The all-popular Miku agrees with little me!" Miku turned towards her.

"You know, I am just a human being"

"Who can sing better than any average person, can improvise faster than any freestyle rapper and who holds the record for longest stretch on the top of the charts!" Luka grinned.

"She had a point" Miku huffed.

"Backstabber" Miki looked at them as they started a little staring-with-deadly-eyes contest.

"You like each other, don't you?" she stated simply, snapping the two out of their game.

"N-no!" exclaimed Luka, waving her hands at an impressive speed for her state. Miku turned red but didn't say anything.

"I knew it! That's so awesome!"

"W-what?" stuttered Miku. Miki simply leaned into the couch.

"Everybody is a huge fan of you two, and most are expecting you two to fall hopelessly in love" she studied the two again. "I can see that that has already happened" Luka sighed.

"Miki, we are not going out" she hated lying.

"You can't teach a new dog old tricks!" Miku shrugged.

"See it as you please" Miki squealed. "But that doesn't mean we're together"

"But that doesn't mean you're _not _together!" Luka face-palmed.

"She's good at making points" Miki laughed.

"I like you two! If I wasn't living so far away, I would treat you both to an ice cream for no particular reason!" Luka nodded a little. "So, how was the whole ordeal through the forest?"

"Hard" they both answered

* * *

><p>Miku stretched a little before heading towards the bed.<p>

This evening had been a long one. The whole family had continued partying, and Miki hung out with them the whole time.

Miki loved to joke, laugh and tease. She kept saying that the two were perfect together, both girls slightly denying every joke without ever really saying that what she said wasn't true. Miki had gotten a photo and an autograph from the two stars as a souvenir so that she could boast to her friends. But, in the whole, all three had great fun.

Luka's parents had said that Miku could stay at theirs for the whole time Luka needed to heal completely, much to the duo's pleasure.

And because it was so late, for the moment the two had to share a room, everybody being too tired to set up a bed. Luka was already sleeping, exhausted from all the activity. She had moved her arms way too much, so she was completely spent and sore.

Miku crept under the covers next to her as carefully as possible as to not wake her up. The smaller girl cuddled against Luka's sleeping form, immediately getting comfortable.

She dozed off when Luka slowly managed to wrap her in her arms.

Miku couldn't be happier.

00oo00

Miku helped Luka's parents rid the table of the plates. She was now definitely staying here, and nobody seemed to mind. On the contrary, even.

Luka's parents were treating her like their second daughter, playfully scolding her when she did something wrong and praising her when she did the contrary.

Miku and Luka had gotten closer than ever. They didn't tell Luka's parents anything yet, but it felt strange being close with each other under the same roof.

Miku helped Luka with everything, absolutely everything. From going up the stairs to brushing her teeth to wiping her mouth with a napkin.

Now it was Sunday evening, and the next day they were going to school. Both felt a little anxious about it, since they hadn't gone back outside since they came home. The idea of the crowds scared them, even Miku who had grown up with them.

Also, the press was wild. They had been camping outside of the house for days, suspecting both stars for being here. And what they were posting in magazines, oh gosh.

Exaggerated stories, complete lies about all subjects possible. When they saw Miku open the door to get the mail, and immediately retreat because of the flashing lights, they went wild. Miku, staying at Luka's house!

Crazy stories erupted then, though the duo didn't do anything about it. For the moment, they just wanted to rest. Work was too much to put on their minds right now.

Miku placed the dishes in the dishwasher as the two adults cleared the table. Luka always proposed help, but Miku insisted that she went easy.

"Luka, you know that if you move too much, you'll heal slower" scolded Miku when Luka tried to bring back something from the table.

"For some reason, that doesn't sound that bad" replied the girl with a smirk. Miku scoffed.

"Not that I don't like staying here, which I do, but I want you to be well as soon as possible!" Luka's mother laughed.

"We don't mind. Stay as long as you want. Maybe even after Luka heals. Really, you're always welcome" Miku looked at her with wide eyes.

"Really?"

"Why not?" answered the father. Luka cheered.

"Miku can stay~!" Miku smiled as well.

"Well, I don't want to be a burden…"

"You're being everything but that" Luka smirked again at her mother's comment, making Miku go a little red.

"Ok…"

"Joy!" yelled Luka, waving her arms in the air. Miku tapped them.

"Luka…put your hands down" Luka pouted, but complied.

"Can't do anything anymore…"

"You got that right!" the parents laughed at the exchange.

"You two are probably the closest friends we've ever seen!" Miku blushed while Luka smirked playfully.

"Yep! We're close, close friends, alright!" exclaimed the latter, Miku's blush going a few shades darker.

Miku had to blush about everything, while Luka just laughed everything off. Luka found that so irresistibly cute.

"Well girls, how are you feeling about school, tomorrow?" asked the older man. Miku answered slowly.

"Strange, actually. We haven't been in a real, crowded place since forever…" she shuddered remembering when she just stepped out of the door and was met an explosion of cheers and flashes. Never again had she dared even look out the window. Now all curtains were drawn 24/7.

"Yeah. And yet, it feels a bit reassuring, for some reason"

The two girls really didn't know how it felt. It was as if they were once again going into the unknown.

"Well, go to bed, both of you. Especially you, Luka. You need your rest" Miku stuck her tongue out.

"That's what you get from moving so much!" Luka pouted, but complied.

Miku walked after Luka to her room. Now Miku used the guest room, but Luka needed help with changing and all.

Miku always felt slightly uncomfortable helping her do that. Not only because it's helping Luka _undress, _but also because it slightly reminded her of the cliff episode. Also, there were small scars on her back that constantly reminded her of the events. The ones from the fall, and the long, narrow cut from the operation that ran down her spine, almost invisible.

It saddened her. She had given those scars to Luka, in an indirect way. She had ruined her flawless skin.

Yes, Luka was completely flawless, in every way. Miku sometimes felt a little jealous about that.

Luka understood Miku's discomfort, and sometimes attempted changing herself to spare Miku of seeing the wound's remains, but it always ended with Miku scolding her, telling her it was fine, and Luka on the ground because she fell.

And also, they were then completely alone in the room. Completely alone.

Not that the fact itself bothered them, but over the days some sort of tension has built. The tension wasn't uncomfortable, but it…was peculiar and slightly electric. It made both girls fall utterly silent and feel slightly uncomfortable and fidgety.

The changing episode happened without a fuss or even a word, and Miku left for her own room.

Falling on her bed, she fell in her thoughts at the same time.

The first thought that entered her mind was school. Now, everybody knew her secret and the quest the duo had gone through.

Miku didn't want to be treated like a goddess or an alien. That was the reason of her disguise in the first place. She wanted a completely normal life. And yet… now her schoolmates' reactions scared her. Plus, she hadn't been in such a crowded area in a long time. The lack of space reminded her of the trees in the forest.

The schoolwork itself didn't worry the girl the slightest. The teachers were sure to understand and all. Who falls off a cliff on purpose, besides suicidal people?

Well, Luka.

That was her second thought. The two were close, for sure. But they couldn't rid themselves of that strange tension. Whenever they were alone it appeared, and Miku got strange temptations.

Also, Miku started craving her touch. She loved her so much, but hated not being able to do more than just exchange a little kiss every now and then, when people weren't looking. Yet, Luka's state made all of her slightly erotic dreams come to a screeching halt.

She could tell Luka was having those same problems. Her eyes avoided hers' from time to time, and she fidgeted every once and a while.

Was that the source of the tension? Maybe.

The two had tried to keep a low profile, but every time somebody suggested something Miku turned red and Luka smirked and added a joke. Luka was very playful with that subject, and liked to make Miku blush that way. Though, when Miku requested her to stop she halted, though with a small smile.

The next thought on Miku's mind was their jobs.

One day, they were going to go back to Crypton. Luka's parents have re-accepted the contract, so they were going to go there in about two weeks.

Dorian scared her. Miku was still scared of the man. Even if she had fought off a freaking bear, Dorian made a bigger impression on her. She was worried he would continue trying to throw them out of the industry to make Len the big number one.

Miku wondered why he didn't play fair. He could just hire Len and then they could become rivals. The game would then be less dirty. But why play like this?

Maybe Dorian had the same way thinking as thieves; get the money easily.

But what was Miku going to do now? She couldn't just blame him, she had no proof whatsoever. Not even a witness. So, what now?

She sighed, and thought that everything solved itself with time.

* * *

><p>Miku peeked her head outside.<p>

It was seven in the morning, Monday, and they were planning to evade the house.

The last night Luka's mom and offered to each man outside the house a bowl of soup due to the fresh nights. But little did those creepers know was that the woman had put a small dose of sleep assistant on the liquid. It made them sleep a tiny bit deeper, letting the girls escape.

"All clear" whispered the girl, and she delicately helped Luka down the steps leading to the door. The weeks in the forest and the intense schedule at Crypton had toned her arms and back, letting her carry her secret lover up without too much trouble.

The duo silently waved the married couple goodbye as they headed for the train station.

"Luka, here's you jacket!" Miku handed Luka a jacket identical to the one she used to wear herself to hide her hair whenever she stepped outside. Miku was already wearing hers', hood up and hair hidden.

Luka took the clothing and quickly disguised herself.

Maybe they looked at bit shady, but they didn't care, as long as they weren't discovered.

They waited at the station, trying not to look around at all of these people. They were slowly getting used to them, but only because they weren't being watched like bubbles in a test tube.

When the train pulled in, Miku quickly pushed Luka into the wagon, setting her in the designated place for people in wheelchairs. Miku sat next to her.

"Well, everything seems to be going fine…" whispered the walking star. Luka chuckled.

"Before the end of the day everybody know we have been here. We can't hide at school" Miku scoffed.

"Yeah, but I like being ignored like this. It makes me feel…"

"That we're human beings" finished the tune-lover. Miku smirked.

A man seated next to Luka, but that didn't mind them. As long as he didn't see them and start screaming their names, everything was fine.

"Miku?" whispered Luka, quieter than before. Miku leaned closer. "The man next to me is sitting too close for my liking"

Miku looked up, and indeed the man was sitting on the edge of his seat. His hand barely resting on his lap. Miku grumbled.

"If he really starts to bother you, we'll move" Luka nodded, and returned to her initial position.

Miku saw that a man in a uniform had entered the wagon. He was checking tickets.

Miku sighed. Even if the man was still ten minutes worth of ticket-checking away, she preferred to have those things at hand.

Miku remembered that their bags were slung around Luka's chair. She turned towards the bags and froze.

The man was slowly moving his hand into their bags, in the compartment were their wallets, tickets, cellphones and such were stored.

A pick-pocket.

"Oh, hell no!" Miku yelled before giving out a good punch.

A crunching sound was heard when her fist connected with the man's jaw. Everybody rose from their seats, shocked, as the man rubbed the stop were he had been hit.

Miku stood in between him and Luka, pointing a finger at him.

"Don't you even think about doing that" she hissed. He got to his feet, and growled. The ticket-man ran up to them, but the assaulter didn't seem to mind.

Miku was growling, practically. Anyone who dares to hurt Luka in any ways gets it.

This dude has stepped over the line. Way too much.

Hey, it could happen to anybody, right? A pick-pocket is as current as a weed in a garden these days.

The man hissed when he felt blood trickling down the corner of his mouth. He glared at Miku, whose face was still hidden under her hood. He slowly got up, constantly watched by Miku's icy glare.

"You want to fight, bro'?" he asked cheekily. Miku scoffed loudly.

"No" clear. To the point. He laughed.

"Well, you nail a good punch for a chick" she grinned under her hood. Luka tugged on her jacket, but she didn't want to listen to her just right now.

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean that I can't learn how to fight for my life" he snickered.

"Big words, for a gall"

"Don't offend me"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think that would be a good idea" he raised an eyebrow.

"And why is that?" Miku smirked.

"Because then you won't be the most loved guy around" he laughed, and Luka smirked as well. She was starting to find this amusing for some reason.

"What are you, famous?" Luka laughed, grabbing everybody's attention.

"You bet!" and she pulled down her hood, and Miku did the same. The man gawked at them, and the whole wagon grew dead silent. Even the train seemed to have shut up.

"No way!" Miku smirked.

"Apparently, yes way" then the whole wagon exploded in cheers, and Miku just smiled. For some reason, this situation had entertained her greatly. She took Luka's hand as the crowd approached.

"I don't know why, but that was funny" laughed Luka. Miku tightened her grip with a smile.

"Same here!"

"Everybody get outta the way!" yelled another voice, which the duo recognized immediately.

Sure enough, Meiko and the two boys emerged from the crowd.

"Why do we always have to push people when we want to talk to you?" pouted Kaito. Meiko elbowed him in the ribs.

"I was supposed to say that!" Miku grinned, ignoring the calls and cheers that were ringing in her ears.

"Nice to see you, too!" Luka imitated her expression. Gakupo smiled widely.

"I can't believe it! You're both fine!" he said dreamily. Mieko grinned.

"This is his dream come true. Seeing his crush in a wheelchair in a train" her comment went ignored by the boy while Luka scoffed, also ignoring the noise.

"Come on, Meiko! Stop teasing him the whole time!" Gakupo's smile widened. He looked like a kid who was sucking on his favorite candy. Big eyes and stupid smile.

When the train hissed to a stop, the group stepped out.

As the entered the school grounds, Miku's smile faded. Meiko noticed.

"Agh, don't worry so much! Come on! Bell rings in three minutes!"

The duo were relieved when everybody noticed them, but didn't seem to cheer and applaud. Instead, they were politely greeted, and forgotten in the next three seconds.

They felt normal.

Miku smiled when a familiar duo walked up to them.

"Hey, Haku, Neru!" she greeted, Luka doing the same.

"Hello" spoke Neru, almost as a statement. Haku just smiled. "How are you?"

"Great! We just evaded a fight in a train, and everybody is treating us like normal people!"

"I think you have your friends to thank for that" she stated this time.

Before the two could ask what she meant by that, Luka spotted a familiar tuff of blonde hair. Miku felt Luka stiffen.

Len.

That boy…

Did all that to Miku.

Memories flashed back in her head, and Luka couldn't have felt madder in her life.

"You!" she roared. Everybody froze after a sharp flinch. That was so unexpected. "Do you realize what you have done?" the yells flew over the silent crowd, ringing in their ears. Len bowed his head deep in shame. Neru stepped between them, calm as ever.

"Luka, he's-" Luka pushed her with her free hand.

"Stay out of this, Neru!" the order was so sharp, Neru actually obeyed. Luka turned towards the boy, eyes on fire. She was burning with hatred.

"I hope you understand what you have done to us, Len. What you have done to Miku. If you don't give a damn good apology, I'll roll over your balls!"

Everybody turned to ice statues. Nobody, absolutely nobody expected to see Luka like this, _ever. _She has never been so angry. She looked like a demon come to harvest doom on Len's dead body.

Len, shaking and visibly traumatized, took a shaking step forward.

"I am deeply sorry, but I would like to give you a proper apology at the lunch break" Luka sat back in her chair. Now she was the Fire Queen sitting on her throne, preparing a sentence for this boy who has broken her rules. She seemed positively evil.

"You'd better be there, or I'll chase you with a pitchfork and a tuna, wheelchair or not" she spoke slowly, voice dripping with flames and venom.

Len nodded shakily, and retreated to his sister.

Luka sighed, and immediately lost every speck of evil in her.

"God, I'm tired, now!" Miku snapped out of her frozen state. Evil Luka hadn't scared her, but she had been greatly impressed. She never thought that she could be so hateful.

But now…

"What did the doctor say about getting excited? You were supposed to stay as calm as possible" she scolded. The whole crowd cringed. Was she mad? Scolding the devil's child, the Demon of Chaos' best friend? Luka looked at her with bug eyes.

"But-"

"No buts! No matter how messed up the situation is, I want you to stay calm!"

"But-"

"I said no buts!" Luka looked down at her free hand.

"Yes, mother" Miku frowned.

"No mothers, either"

"Yes, ma'am"

"Quit it"

"Yes-"

"I said quit it!" Luka remained silent. "Good girl" Miku patted her friend like she was praising a puppy.

Meiko chuckled nervously.

"Well, that was interesting" Gakupo and Kaito appeared from behind her.

"Is she dead?" asked the purple-haired boy. Meiko scoffed.

"No ,she isn't…surprisingly" she added silently. Luka laughed.

"Let's just say that I really don't like Len for the moment" the two boys nodded.

"Yep, you don't like him. You don't like him at all…" they whimpered. Miku frowned.

"Look, she isn't going to kill you guys!" Kaito dared coming out a bit further.

"She's not?"

"No!"

"Then it's ok…" he stepped out from behind his girlfriend, and Gakupo hesitantly followed.

The bell rang, and everybody snapped out of their statue-like states. Everybody raced into class, Luka cheering as she went way too fast for a wheelchair.

* * *

><p>The two divas stepped outside, the breeze hitting them straight in their faces.<p>

Their first morning at school had been better than expected.

Aside from the first five minutes, it went pretty peacefully. Both were treated as regular students, the teachers explained what they had missed, and everybody refrained from asking hard questions.

Now, it was lunch break, and Luka was practically sharpening her knives. Fire was glowing around her again, and her eyes were depicting the worst kind of deaths that she could inflict to the boy right now.

"Where is the boy? Where is the miserable shota?" she kept ranting. Miku scolded her for getting excited, but looked around as well. She wasn't shaken by Luka's sadistic state. Although, she was still a little impressed.

Neru, with her huge ponytail, grabbed their attention quickly. Surely she, who was dating the rascal, knew where he was.

Both divas walked, well, in Luka's case rolled, in her direction. Neru greeted them before they could even peep a sound.

"Hello. Len is over there" she pointed towards a shady place under the trees. It was discreet, yet not invisible.

"The boy has chosen well" spoke Luka, her voice comically adapted, sounding like a karate expert praising his student. Though a slightly sadistic tone covered her voice.

"Oh, shut up, Luka. Let's go hear him out" Luka grumbled something incoherent but didn't refuse when Miku rolled her towards the boy.

Len looked up at them when they approached. He didn't seem nervous or stressed, despite the two girl's heavy glares in his direction. Even Luka didn't make him tremble, even if she was grinning with pointed teeth in his direction.

"Hello" greeted the walking diva. Len nodded in greeting, while Luka wanted to cross her arms.

Miku sat herself next to her supposed friend, never letting Len leave her sight.

This boy had done way too many things to her for her to feel the slightest bit comfortable in his presence. Even with 'move-and-I'll-kill-you-in-the-most-painful-way-possible' Luka right next to her.

"Explain"

"And beg for our pardon and your life" added Luka. Len didn't flinch. He sure was brave.

"Ok…" he took in a deep breath. "Months ago, I wanted fame, right? I wanted money, fame, cars, and girls. I was kinda selfish. My sis kept bugging me about it. One day, I saw you, Miku. You were everywhere, and you were living whatever I wasn't. So, I contacted my uncle, who happened to be your manager" neither reacted. They both knew, by now. "He told me this plan to get all the fame easy. I was to sing during the contest, and you were supposed to be charmed by me. I didn't really understand that, but I wanted my dream to come true, so I complied. Then, I saw you for the first time in real life. I kinda had a crush on you, right then. When I wasn't chosen, I grew furious. Yes, I was really mad. And you rubbing it in didn't help" he said in Luka's direction. She still didn't move. Little did he know that she was holding herself in from jumping from her chair to strangle him right there and then. He sighed again. "Then, I learned that you weren't 'charmed' because you already liked somebody…else. Who just happened to be chosen" he observed their reaction. Not one flinched. "You know?" he asked carefully. Miku spat out the truth.

"We're going out, now"

"You better not telling anybody before we do. Or else I'll go all tuna on your butt" added the angry diva. Len gulped this time. He knew that tuna were very big fish.

"Very well, congratulations. I won't tell anybody"

"Good boy"

"Well, then. My uncle got all these plans to make Miku chase you away. He kept menacing you, right?" Miku nodded. "Just out of curiosity, what things did he say?" Luka growled.

"Do, you mean 'do'. What did he do" Len blanched.

"What did he _do_?"

Wait, so Len didn't know of that? Luka visibly relaxed.

"Ok, that's minus fifty hate points" Miku still seemed sour, though not as much.

"He almost raped me" Len blanched even more.

"Really?"

"Your kissing me right after didn't help" Len started getting teary-eyed.

"Sorry. Well, he told me I had to do that to get the fame, but then… I met Neru. My crush for you completely disappeared. As did my thirst for fame. I was just about to refuse to my uncle's next desire when you both fell. Now, I barely even talk to him even more. So, in short, I am very, terribly, awfully sorry" he was almost crying now.

The two girls looked at each other. Just by locking their eyes, they seemed to be able to communicate.

Len was partly being manipulated. Not everything was his fault. But…

"You're going to be on stage when we tell the story" spoke Miku, turning back towards the boy. He immediately accepted.

"Anything to be forgiven for the horrible things I've done" Luka smiled.

"You're a brave kid" Len smiled weakly.

"Thank you"

And with that, the two girls took off.

* * *

><p>Luka and Miku entered the house, and Miku collapsed on the couch. Luka's father chuckled from behind the paper he was reading.<p>

"Ne~, Miku! I'm thirsty, don't just drop me here!" Miku groaned, but helped Luka get to the fridge. Even if Luka could move her arms and was getting stronger by the day, she didn't want Luka to roll herself everywhere just yet.

"Hello, girls. How was school?" asked Luka's mother from upstairs. Miku laughed.

"At first, really strange, but then it was great!"

"Good, because I got a phone call from the hospital" Luka looked up from her carton of milk which Miku snatched away, scolding her with her eyes for drinking from the carton. Luka begged with her eyes. When Miku shook her head again, Luka tried to grab the carton, leaning as far as she dared to.

"Really?" asked the pink-haired girl, trying to get the carton back. "What did they say?" why did she have to be nailed to this chair?

"They said that you two could go back to work in two weeks, no less. By then, you could already be walking, Luka"

"Good, good…" she answered, not really listening. She wanted that carton, she was thirsty! Miku shook her head, but Luka continued grabbing for the cardboard recipient.

The wheelchair slipped. No joke, the chair slipped. Or, Luka leaned too far over the edge, causing her to fall over Miku, who fell as well, who let the milk fall all over the floor.

"What are you two doing?" called the father from the living room, hearing the noise.

Miku reddened as she looked into Luka's eyes, which were right in front of her. Luka smirked, and stole a long kiss. Miku immediately responded.

"I asked you a question!" the smaller diva broke the kiss slightly to answer.

"Nothing! The milk spilled!" she returned to Luka right after, trying not to moan as the heat increased and as the kiss deepened.

Luka had no idea what she was feeling besides bliss. She didn't even know if this feeling had a name.

Finally something else then a chaste kiss.

Finally something a little…hotter.

Even if she couldn't really move, she was supporting herself with her forearms over Miku, who was caressing her gently.

Luka stifled a moan when Miku ran her fingers down her spine, right over the scar.

"Then clean it up! Really, what are you two doing?" demanded the older man.

Luka answered this time.

"Nothing, really!" Miku met her lips again before she could add more.

"You sound out of breath" Luka halted the movement. Now wasn't the time, or place. Seriously, in a kitchen when the father is just ten feet away, when you're having a slightly fight-y talk with said man?

"Stop, Miku" Miku pouted, but complied. They could finally touch and have a good excuse…

Miku helped Luka back into her seat, lips slightly tingling, and cleaned up the milk. Luka drank what remained in the carton as she did so.

"How grateful can you get?" grumbled the smaller diva. Luka just shrugged, wiping her mouth.

Miku didn't know what to feel. She felt…energized. Exited. Hot. Attracted. Completely and hopelessly in love.

She craved her touch more than ever.

Through dinner, she remained almost completely silent, only answering questions with short, simple phrases. Luka stayed just as silent, and Miku could tell, just by looking into her eyes, that she was feeling exactly the same.

They both craved the other, all of a sudden. And both knew that Luka was not in the state to comply with such desires. For some reason, that frustrating fact only made the feeling more pronounced.

Miku helped with cleaning the table, feeling Luka stare at her as she walked.

They felt pulled towards each other, like a powerful, unstoppable magnet.

During the evening news, both girls sat on opposite sides of the table, staring in each other's eyes intensely. The two adults asked if something was wrong, and they answered it was a game.

Yes. A cruel, long, anguishing game.

Miku never thought she would feel like this, ever. A strange adrenaline was running through her veins, a pulling attraction in Luka's direction.

Yes, she craved her right now.

Unlike most couples, they hadn't ever been able to do more than what happened in the kitchen. And yet, they knew they loved each other enough to know that they could get married straight away. This slowness was dragging, lasting too long. It seemed to have finally snapped.

It almost hurt.

When the parents told them they needed sleep for the next morning, Miku had to contain herself from running into Luka's room with the girl.

This longing…

It was lasting way too long.

Miku shut the door behind her, and walked towards Luka who was selecting a pajama or a nightgown for the night.

Miku then felt the tension again. It wasn't helping. Things were awkward enough as they were.

Luka had chosen a blue, light pajama, not to warm for the weather, and was now unbuttoning her shirt.

Miku did her best not to look, but the tension was building. She helped the girl take off the shirt, still not looking, avoiding the scars and the mirror. Where to look?

Miku handed Luka the pajama shirt, still doing her best not to look.

This tension was building, the air was thickening. Breathing became hard, and places to look became rare.

"Miku?" Miku hummed, indicating that she was listening. "What is…?" she asked quietly. Miku knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I don't know" had the kitchen episode started this? Were they given a taste of the cake mix, but were not allowed to have the whole cake?

Luka didn't add anything. Miku noticed that she needed to get the pants on. Miku helped her rise from the seat so that it could be done easily.

Why, when they had already done this thirty times, did this suddenly seem so different? Miku placed the clothing on the chair, feeling the atmosphere thicken even more.

What was this? This feeling, this craving? Not love, no. It was something like it, but different. In a more, savage, wild way.

Miku turned back towards Luka, and felt her breath catch, but let nothing on.

She was absolutely gorgeous. A weak night light entered through the window, reflecting the thin, soft fabric of the pajama, and the smooth, flawless skin of Luka's bare legs as said girl was leaning against the chair to keep her balance.

The temperature seemed to escalate slowly as Miku walked towards her, steps slow and heavy.

What…?

Luka looked up at her eyes, the same emotion filling them to the brim. Miku didn't know what to do.

Wordlessly, she pushed Luka softly against the shoulders, softly making her fall against the bed. Luka winced a little, but didn't make any sound as Miku crawled over her, swapping their positions from earlier.

Miku kissed her softly, but it held something caged inside. Luka kissed her back, and Miku could feel the same beast being held back.

The kiss deepened slightly when Luka slowly started caressing her back. When Miku licked Luka's lower lip, Luka complied and let Miku enter her mouth, exploring the new territory.

The room's temperature escalated quickly, going from warm to burning hot.

They were lost, completely lost. They had no idea what this new, strange feeling was, but they liked it. It fueled them, and it felt great. They exchanges caresses freely, Miku starting to go down Luka's neck, leaving small bites everywhere she went, while Luka moaned lightly.

The room went from burning to unbearable.

They liked it.

Though…

"Miku…?" Miku hummed in response once more, sucking on Luka's neck. That was sure to leave a bruise in the morning. "This…feels unfair" she managed between moans.

Indeed, Luka wasn't able to return whatever Miku was giving her. It was a bit frustrating. Miku hummed in approval, slowing down a little, but not stopping.

"Miku…please" Miku interrupted her by making her lips slightly occupied. This time, it was slow, soft and delicate. The temperature decreased, and the tension disappeared. They had satisfied it…for now.

Miku slowly got up, and smirked in Luka's direction.

"Now, I'm feeling much better" she said coyly. Luka smirked in return.

"It's still unfair" Miku nodded, helped Luka finish changing, and retired to her own room, heart at peace.

* * *

><p>Miku rolled her lover up towards the school building. Luka was slightly peeved at her.<p>

"I didn't want to wear a collar today!" she grumbled. Miku laughed.

"Are you saying you regretted our little session last evening?" she asked in a whisper. Luka grumbled something incoherent, but didn't reply.

Luka was indeed wearing a tall collar, solely in order to hide the small bruises Miku had left. Miku had smirked when she had seen Luka that morning, and Luka had worn a sour face the whole time 'till now. She didn't really like collars, but it couldn't be helped.

They greeted their friends at the school doors, everybody greeting them politely.

Their first hour was music on Tuesdays. Of course, it was the two girl's favorite hour, and took advantage of it to make up for their bad grades in other subjects.

The teacher entered the room, a smile on his face.

"Well, it seems that our two divas are back!" the class cheered. "Well, well. I was told not to ask questions about what had happened in those deep, dark woods. But…I am presenting to each a new exercise we haven't done yet! Or, most of us" he got a mysterious gleam in his eyes, but the last part threw it away. "You are all going to write an original song! Important part; I want it to relate to you, and it to have deep emotion. I'm sure you can handle that!"

Luka and Miku glanced at each other.

"Groups of two only!" added the man. Both girls smiled.

"What shall it talk about?" asked the pink-haired diva, rolling closer to Miku's chair. Miku shrugged.

"I don't want to talk about the forest. It still gives me shivers" Luka held her hand.

"Not about that, then" she thought a moment. "How about us?" she asked carefully and quietly. Miku smiled.

"That was kind of expected" Luka shrugged.

"So?" Miku chuckled at that reply.

"Very well, and I already have my little idea…"

* * *

><p>An hour later, they had the lyrics and rhythm down. They smiled at the title: Distorted Princess.<p>

"Our roles are defined?"

"Yep" answered the taller girl. Miku grinned.

"We have two hours of music today. Why don't we compose the melody?" Luka grinned.

"Indeed, why not?" Meiko then hissed in their direction.

"What is it, Meiko?" asked the smaller star. Meiko seemed desperate.

"Do you guys have any ideas?" she glanced at the title, the lyrics and the colored lines "By flying hippopotamuses, you two are already done" she groaned. "How do you do that?" Miku smiled.

"As I said to Luka once, you can't catch inspiration in a butterfly net. Let the ideas come to you" Meiko frowned.

"Trust her, she's right" added Luka, remembering when she first wrote her own song. Meiko nodded, and turned around. Miku and Luka then concentrated on the melody.

"Very well, are any of you done with your song's lyrics?" asked the man. The two divas raised their hands, but nobody else. "As expected. W-"

"Sir, just because we are stars, that doesn't mean that music comes to us easily" pointed out Luka, slightly cross with his remark. 'As expected', yea right. "We were just lucky today" he nodded.

"Very well. Would you like to sing it?" they exchanges looks.

They haven't sung in a long time. And also, they could hardly sing this quite yet.

"Sorry, sir" replied Luka. Miku nodded.

"Not today"

The man nodded.

"Could you tell us the subject of your song, and how it relates to you, or one of you?" both girl grinned widely.

"It's about our lives in general"

"How our hate developed o friendship, and on" explained Miku. The man smiled.

"A very interesting choice. Do any of you already have a theme?" to their surprise, most raised their hands.

"Yes, Kaito?" he asked. Kaito grinned.

"Mine talks about the time were I was completely alone, before I met Meiko. It's called 'Uninstall'" Miku poked Luka in the ribs.

"Hey, my album needs a few songs. Why don't we add a few from out class if they're good?" she asked. Luka smiled.

"You can do that?"

"Sure!"

The man then asked Meiko. She grinned.

"Mine is 'Change Me', inspired from the time when our super divas where trekking through the woods" Luka looked at her. It would be interesting to know how she felt through a song. Miku saw her interest and grinned. Luka had always been slightly curious.

"Well, continue working! For next Tuesday, I want every song to have a melody and lyrics!"

Miku shook Luka's shoulder, and the girl turned around to answer her. She was utterly shocked when Miku gave her the smallest, most discreet of kisses.

"Miku!" she nearly hissed, blushing furiously. "We're in public! What if somebody-" Miku's grin made her fall silent.

"Hey, I wanted to. Nobody saw, don't worry" she whispered. "Besides, you can't deny that you liked it…" Luka blushed even more. No she couldn't deny it. Miku laughed a little.

"That's payback for you!" she said. Luka grumbled, still slightly red.

Surprisingly, even if Luka was the more joking one of their secret relationship, when in private Miku became terribly dominant. Not that Luka was complaining…

Miku grinned and leaned over the paper, thinking about the melody. Luka huffed but decided to help her.

* * *

><p>Miku walked outside with Luka in tow.<p>

One full week of school, done. They had put all five days behind their backs.

Everything was going great. Their grades were better than anticipated, thanks to both helping the other.

Luka could already walk a few steps, but only a few per day. She still got tired quickly, but was getting stronger. She still sat in the wheelchair. Next week, she will bring crutches.

They had finished composing Distorted Princess, but they didn't think about work just yet. But Miku really wanted to add a few new songs to her album. She had gotten a peek at Kaito's and Meiko's songs, Gakupo not having been able to write his. But he said he already had a good idea.

The two professional divas were also now more free with their, let's see, more 'private' activities, since Luka could now move her arms and upper body freely. The tension now was gone, and the frustration had died with it.

Now, they were perfectly happy.

Gakupo laughed at one of Kaito's jokes loudly as Luka mumbled. She didn't like jokes directed towards her, because that was now the case. Miku frowned.

"Yes, Gakupo, we get it! Now please, spare Luka the ridicule!" she scolded.

Gakupo was about to reply when something caught his eye.

"Wait, why is that there?" he asked, pointing towards the street.

A long, black limo was parked on the sidewalk.

Both divas froze as a tall man stepped out of the vehicle. His blonde hair waved slightly in the wind, his eyes smiling from behind the dark glasses her wore.

Dorian.

Miku felt her heart race.

This man…

Absolutely terrified her. She couldn't feel anything anymore but utter fear.

Her heart missed a few terrifying beats when he took a few step closer.

"Hey, Miku, Luka! Nice to finally see you two again!" he waved towards the crowd, getting a few cheers from the spectators.

Luka felt her rage start to boil. What she was feeling for Len days ago now seemed thankful.

Now, she was drowning in anger, rage. He did such dirty things towards Miku…

Her fingers started to tremble and her jaw clenched. This man… she hated him with her whole body and soul.

"So, how are you two?" he asked, holding out a hand towards Miku, who was completely frozen.

Luka felt her fear, and that fueled her more. She couldn't describe this murderous hate. She wanted to see him bleed his guts over the floor.

Oh, where is a tuna when you need one?

"Don't touch her" she spoke slowly but clearly. Dorian halted his movement, and Miku seemed to wake up from her spiral down memory lane. Dorian looked down at Luka, and froze.

Her eyes were living hell pits.

"Don't you even think about it, you pig" she continued, her voice getting more and more angry by the moment, the word, the second.

Dorian laughed it off.

"What are you-?"

"Don't try that with me, you monster. It won't work" she rolled forward, nearly rolling over his feet with the wheels. "I just happen to be a witness to your perverted, selfish, horribly stupid acts towards Miku"

The world froze. She was a witness?

Miku felt relief course through her body. She could now fire Dorian with a stable reason. But... he still scared her so much.

Dorian was unbelieving.

"A few days before we fell, remember, you toothless crocodile? I was recording 'Just be Friends', remember? I wanted to talk to Miku. Then I see her, stepping out of your office, weeping, clothes torn, and legs trembling" she spoke slowly, her voice dripping with venom and hate.

The crowd was non-believing. Did he really do that to her? But he seemed so nice.

"You creepy pedo-bear. The day we fell, you wanted to see her. She knew what was coming to her. I knew I had to protect her. Then what? You uncovered her most precious secret! You almost threw her live away! And you know what is the worst in this?" she was now yelling from her seat, yet she seemed to be five hundred feet tall.

Her eyes were burning, she seemed to be spewing lava. Every words made everybody flinch simply because of their tone.

"She trusted you! She trusted the man who got her off the streets, she trusted the man who helped her build her life, hide her identity! And what do you do?" she was now yelling, eyes burning with rage.

Dorian smiled.

"I don't-" Luka stood up, and grabbed him by the collar. A gasp rang over the crowd in awe.

"You took everything away from her! Everything! Her normal life! Her comfort in crowds! Her trust in people in general! She couldn't even feel safe around a bird for the first few days in the forest, you know that!" she started shaking him silly, not trembling or seeming weak. In fact, she never seemed so solid on her legs before.

Luka backed him against the black vehicle, and pointed her finger under his throat.

"If only you knew what would be happening to you right now if I had a fish. I swear you would have ended up worse than Miku when she came out of the forest" she pushed on his neck, making him whimper.

"If you ever, ever appear in front of me again, if you even look in Miku's direction, I will haunt you for the rest of your existence. Understood?" she whispered, yet it seemed so menacingly loud. Dorian nodded frantically, and Luka pushed him away.

"You're walking. Because you're not part of Crypton anymore" spoke another voice. Luka turned to see Miku, eyes filled with tears, but they were gleaming in determination. "You're fired, Dorian. Fired!" Luka turned towards the man, a sadistic smile on her lips, eyes scaring the most powerful demon.

"Got it?" with a final whimper, he ran off, glasses crashing to the ground.

Luka smiled, happy of herself, and seemed to shrink to a hundredth of her size. She was so intimidating…it scared even Miku.

And yet, her words spoke the truth.

Sighing, Luka sat in her wheelchair, and she dozed off in complete exhaustion on-the-spot. Miku smiled, and pet her head. Her fingers still trembled slightly, but she knew he was safe.

"Thank you, Luka" on that final note, both walked towards the train station, leaving everybody confused and astonished.

* * *

><p>Miku and Luka stood in the halls. The bell was going to ring in two minutes, but they weren't heading for their class just yet. In fact, they were waiting for some important people.<p>

"Hey, Miku, Luka! Didn't see you in the train!" called Meiko, panting slightly. Miku smirked.

"Because you didn't take the train" Meiko gave up the act, and supported her arms on her knees.

"I missed it! I ran all the way here!" she gasped. Luka laughed.

"Well, Meiko, guess who has good news?" she asked when Meiko managed to stand straight.

"What…?" she wheezed. Luka smiled, but replied.

"Tomorrow, I'll be using crutches!" Meiko's face lit up.

"Seriously?" both stars nodded.

"Oh, wow! By mossy marshmallows, that is great!" she yelled. Gakupo came up to them.

"What's great?"

"Luka's standing tomorrow!" she yelled in his face. His face lit up. His eyes started to tear.

"Really?" Luka nodded, a smile cracking his face.

"That's really great!" he exclaimed. Luka tightened her grip on Miku's hand.

"Well, I have Miku to thank for my quick healing…" she said with a smirk on her lips. Miku caught on immediately.

"Luka!" her face turned beet red. "Don't say such things!" the two bystanders watched, amused.

"What things?" Miku looked at her, shade comparable to a tomato.

"Nothing!"

Luka laughed.

"It's a little…family joke" she answered. Meiko scratched her head, smiling.

"Ok, then!"

The bells rung, and they headed into the class. Miku started grumbling.

"They were supposed to be here five minutes ago!" she mumbled. Luka stroked the back of her hand.

"Come now, Miku. They're busy people" at that moment a man in a uniform entered the class.

"Uh, is Hatsune Miku here?" the teacher looked at him oddly.

"Yes…"

"I'm, um, the doctor. I need to be here with her for this hour" he explained, while Miku grinned.

"Very well. Miku, I request you tell me of these things in the future" ordered the teacher, while the man went to sit close to Miku.

"So, which ones?" he whispered, taking out his recorder. Miku smiled.

"Any one" she replied. He nodded, and sat back in his seat. The teacher cleared his throat.

"Good morning class. Please do not mind Miku's doctor, which I have not been warned about…" he seemed cross for half a second, but his mood lit up in a blink of an eye. "Ok, who want to perform their song?" Miku rose her hand, while Luka smiled. "The name?"

"Distorted Princess" answered Luka.

They had been able to practice a little, but it still wasn't perfect. The instruments, weren't professional-sounding, but it was what the song should roughly look like.

Miku handed the man the CD, and grabbed a microphone for each.

A strong beat erupted from the speakers, along with some electronic scratching and beeping. Then it worked up, and calmed down as Miku started singing, Luka singing her line after her.

They took turns, each singing a line in turn, and at the refrain they unified their voices to the beat and the electronic instruments.

At the end of the refrain, they paused, only to sing again.

Both saw their friends' smiling faces, and saw many heads bob in the powerful beat. The man was nodding, and wrote something on the paper, while the teacher was nearly jumping up and down in excitement.

Some were shocked at some of the lyrics, seeing that both singers were girls, but nobody interrupted.

When the song ended quite abruptly, everybody cheered, while the girls smiled. The teacher clapped wildly.

"Bravo, bravo! I would demand an encore, but other songs are waiting" he turned towards the students. "Now, who liked that song?" he asked. Everybody cheered again. The two girls smiled, and took their seats. Miku looked at the man seated next to her.

"Well?" he smiled.

"That, was great! If all of the students here have the same imagination, then this is going to be a class of rock stars!" he exclaimed. Miku smiled and turned towards Luka, who was smiling.

"Now, who want to sing next?" asked the teacher. Meiko shot up her hand. "Very well, Meiko! What's the name of your song?"

"Change Me" she grabbed the microphone and when the music started playing, everybody grew silent from pure curiosity.

The melody was attracting form the first moment, and already Miku's 'doctor' was nodding. As the music slowly build up, Meiko started the first verse.

Everybody was blown away.

Was that really Meiko singing? She seemed so…mature, for her daily pranks. And the lyrics…

Luka was shocked, but was smiling widely.

"I never thought she could sing!" she whispered. Miku nodded.

"If she wants too, she'll be big one day, I'm sure!"

The two got the same idea and looked at Kaito. He was practically drooling. The two laughed.

"He's in love" Miku shook her head.

"Seriously, if I didn't already have you, then I would ask Meiko out" Luka pouted. The man tapped Miku's shoulder before she could say anything.

"What's her name?" he asked quietly, trying his best to listen to her singing at that same time.

"Sakine Meiko" he grinned.

"We so going to get that contract signed, because this is some stuff!" Miku wanted to cheer in joy, but refrained from doing so.

When the song ended, the whole class exploded.

"Wow…and I though you ears were bleeding…." Muttered Meiko, stunned. The teacher was excited as ever.

"Incredible! Very, very good Meiko!" he praised. "The next?" he asked as the class fell silent. Kaito kissed Meiko's nose and promised her an ice-cream later.

To everybody's surprise, Len stood.

He entered the Cd in the compartment, and before the music could start, he sang at exactly the same time.

The tune was light and tragic, and it fit beautifully in the lyrics. And this time, he had what he lacked at the contest, and had what Miku and Luka, and even Meiko had, the 'magic', the living in the song. This was his song, Miku realized.

She told the ma his name, and the next to sing was his sister, with a song she had called 'Heart', or 'Kokoro'. It was sweet and gentle as well, but had a little more kick. Her name was also requested, and next, Haku stood on stage.

The two divas where a bit puzzled at Haku's presence in front of the class. She was paired up with Neru, and everybody expected the blonde to sing. And yet…

Her song, 'As I'm not Human', was strange but the melody was great. Soft and caressing, yet strong and free. The lyrics made a few girls wince, but her name was demanded by the man as well, which Miku happily gave.

Kaito introduced his song, 'Uninstall', and it was a raging success just like the ones before him.

Gumi, a girl Miku barely knew, sang a song named 'Bad Apple'. Both names where written on the man's list.

Gakupo surprised everyone. Just the last day he said he had nothing, but now, a full song?

And what a song. Named 'The Gambler', it was a bit slow, but exciting and fun to listen to.

He went straight on the list after the refrain passed.

The hour continued, and all of the kids were able to sing their songs. Some were put on the list, some not. Some songs were rap, other more romantic, other just plain weird.

But in any case, Miku found the list to be much fuller then she had anticipated.

"Wow, how many?" she asked the man. Luka tried to stand so that she could see as well, but was only pushed down by Miku.

"Well, including you two, that makes eight songs. Your friend Meiko, you other friend Kaito, Len and his sister, Rin, that Gumi girl and Haku, and your final friend Gakupo. Who knew that all of your friends were great singers?"

"Quite a coincidence indeed" hummed Luka. Miku laughed.

"Well, thank you for being here, sir!" he smiled.

"So, you are going to work tomorrow?" they shook their heads.

"Nope, only when the week-end comes are we allowed to really work" he nodded.

"Actually, just to stir things a little, could you two maybe make a romantic duet? That has been greatly demanded when you survived, for some reason. Then your album would be nice and complete! And also, maybe a music video with some of these. Well, we'll see" with a wave, he took off.

Miku and Luka smiled at each other.

"I think we'll be able to handle a duet"

* * *

><p>Miku and Luka pushed aside the double doors.<p>

Finally. Back at Crypton.

Luka was now using crutches, but was having a hard time with those wretched things. But Miku was always there to catch her. And maybe to steal a kiss every bow and then.

"Welcome back, Luka and Miku!" cheered their manager. Ever since Dorian 'quit', the two girls shared the same manager. He didn't mind the slightest, the contrary even. "How are you girls going?" Luka grinned.

"Better" he clapped.

"Well, a lot has happened her because of you two, you know that?" they shook their heads. "Let's start from the beginning. All of the songs that have been recorded last Thursday have been accepted. So, we have been making the instrumentals and writing contracts, both temporary and permanent. Then there's your song, and upcoming duet" as he talked, he led the two through the halls. "We need you two to write a passionate but sweet duet, just for you two, and preferably make a music video with it" he looked up at them.

Miku thought a moment.

"Well, for the first thing, the songs. We still need to contact the song's writers about all this, and have them accept. Maybe we should talk about how Crypton works before that. Our duet…we haven't worked on it yet, but we'll have it ready in time" she explained. He nodded.

"Very well. We will ask the school if we could send a person there to exhibit Crypton. By then I want your duet to be released. Say…a week from now" the two girls nodded. "Well then! Into the recording studio you two go! 'Distorted Princess' isn't going to sing itself!" he ordered, and the two girls playfully complied.

Their lives couldn't get much better.

* * *

><p>Miku groaned and turned on her side, waking up from her dreams.<p>

Todays has been a long day, for sure. They just couldn't get the recording done, it wouldn't finish. Then, they had to run to the hospital to be on time to have Luka checked up. They said that she could walk whenever she wanted, from now on, as long as she felt strong enough.

Miku sighed, she had been having such a nice dream…

But something woke her up. The duet mentioned by their manager troubled her.

She loved Luka deeply. She knew that if Luka kept one secret from her, her world would fall apart.

It felt so tragic that they had to act like friends in public.

Miku cursed that not one of them was a man. If it were the case, then they could be close whenever they wanted.

But no, society had to be like this, and they had to fall in love.

But Miku wouldn't change it for the world.

She sighed. How could they possibly convey their feelings in one page of paper? It was completely impossible.

"Miku?" Miku turned around and smiled at her lover. "Why aren't you asleep?" she asked. Miku sighed, though with a smile.

"I don't know about our duet" Luka grinned.

"That is all?" Miku nodded.

"I just don't know…we have a chance to tell the world how we are in some vague way, and I want to do it in the best was possible. It just seems…so impossible" Luka chuckled.

"Why can't you think of work during the day?" she asked, snaking her arms around her. Miku huffed but let her do so.

"Because it's troubling me now" she answered, melting into Luka's embrace. Luka hummed.

"Let's start from the beginning, then" she said quietly. Miku hummed into Luka's bare neck.

"A small fire came up from the bottom of my heart, turning into a blaze before I knew it" mumbled Miku. That made a nice first line. Luka grinned. Miku thought about the butterflies, how they have followed them everywhere.

Would that fit in there? Surely.

"My butterfly flew around here and there, its scales came off and fell into your hand" she continued. Luka didn't question the mention of the small insects, but continued instead.

"Letting go of each other's hand, we kissed passionately" Miku blushed a bit at this, but tried her best to continue the song.

"Because our love is unforgivable, we get all fired up" Luka grinned.

"Now that is a good way to start" she said, looking down at Miku. The smaller girl smiled in thanks before falling asleep in her lover's arms.

* * *

><p>Miku woke up at around four in the morning, hit by inspiration. Almost literally.<p>

She quietly ran back into her room and prepared her school stuff, before grabbing a pen and paper. Before she could write one line, she felt somebody put a hand on her shoulder.

"Aren't you light on sleep, lately?" asked Luka. Miku grinned.

"Sorry. Inspiration hit with a whack over the head. I couldn't help myself" Luka grinned.

"We have three hours" Miku grinned.

"That's enough to write something grand" Luka smiled and sat next to her.

"I already have a good idea about my part…" she whispered, grabbing the pen.

* * *

><p>Miku yawned almost painfully. She really, really should have slept last night instead of…yeah. Luka sat next to her.<p>

"That's what we get for waking up at four!" she commented. Miku grinned sleepily.

"Yeah…but our song's unbeatable" Luka nodded.

"So, I take we're going to Crypton this afternoon?" Miku nodded and Luka groaned.

"Aw, I wanted to take a nap!" Miku pet her head.

"Get used to this. And remember, I felt way, way worse the day you pushed me in the pond. And you were chasing me an hour" Luka winced.

"So, so, so, so sorry!" Miku laughed.

"Hey, it's ok. Practically forgotten, now" she leaned closer to her ear. "In fact, the only reason I remember it with all my heart is because that is the day we actually, really met" Luka grinned as well.

"I know…"

"About Crypton…" Luka groaned, thinking that she had given up the subject "Maybe we could just hand in the song and go home. There's nothing else to do other than record it, and we have six days! More than enough time to make it perfect!" she said. Luka smiled, her eyes half-open.

"I like that idea…" Meiko walked up to them. Why was she always first to appear? Were those boys slow or what?

"Well, here are two tired tunas!" the two girls groaned. "What did you do last night? Party?" Luka grinned.

"We rocked the house, all right!" Miku blushed despite her fatigue. Meiko didn't really understand, but let the subject drop.

"I don't think I'll ever understand your family jokes" she muttered. Luka grinned.

"I'll never understand your expressions" Meiko pouted.

"Good point, good point" Luka smiled.

"Hey, Miku, remember when you said that line? With the strawberry?" Miku blushed even more. Luka chuckled.

"One day, one day I'll understand" muttered Meiko. The train hissed to a stop.

"So, Luka, how are you handling the crutches?" asked Meiko. Luka pouted.

"They suck. They're too straight" she looked at Miku. "Unlike other things" she said with a smirk. Miku wanted to run away by how red she was. Oh, Luka, where are your limits?

They settled in their class when the bell rang, Luka putting her crutches against her desk.

Since she came out of the hospital, she sat next to Miku. Or, Miku sat next to her. In any case, they were side-by-side now. They never talked too much, and worked extra hard together, making the teacher agree that they could keep the places even after Luka healed.

As the class was about to begin, a knock came from the door. Gakupo, who was sitting by the door, opened it.

A man from the secretary stood there, looking troubled.

"Uh…is Megurine Luka here?" he asked. Meiko wanted to throw in a 'Hell YA!', but he didn't seem in the mood for that. Luka tensed, and Miku grabbed her hand. Both felt the atmosphere grow tense.

"Could I speak to her, in private?" he asked. The teacher nodded, and Luka took her crutches to join the man outside. She closed the door behind her.

Miku tried to put her attention back on the teacher as he restarted his speech, but couldn't bring herself to. Something seemed off.

The door opened, opened by the man.

"Could Miku come here?" He asked almost desperately. Miku flew up and headed for the door. What has happened?

Miku froze in her tracks as Luka flew on her, grabbing her by the shoulders, and breathing heavily.

"He…he.." she couldn't speak correct sentences.

Miku felt incredibly worried. What had happened. She looked at the man. He ushered the two outside, and Miku pulled Luka with her while she started sobbing on her shoulder.

"What happened?" she asked, pulling arms around Luka's shoulders. She seemed badly shaken. The man rubbed the back of his neck.

"Her father just had a severe heart attack"

The news hit her like a boulder.

No wonder Luka was so shaken.

Luka loved her parents dearly, so much that she would sacrifice practically everything she had for them.

And also, Miku had grown attached to him as well. He was a real father to her.

The news…shook her terribly.

"What?"

"We don't know what has happened, but his wife called the hospital about ten minutes after you two left the house"

Miku felt fear brew in her stomach. What could have possibly happened?

Luka was still sobbing on her shoulder uncontrollably. Miku felt the fabric on her shoulder start to get really wet, but she couldn't care less. She just tightened her grip around Luka, rubbing her back and whispering comforting words in her ear.

"It's going to be ok…It'll be ok…" Luka just sobbed harder, thankful for Miku's efforts. But the pain of risking to lose her father this way scared and hurt her so…

The man had entered the class while the two stars embraced, and had announced that the two wouldn't be able to go to school for the rest of the day.

Miku felt her heart tear apart as she watched Luka cry. She never wanted to see her so sad, ever.

Her father was a really good man, he didn't deserve to receive something like this.

"Shhh…it'll be ok, Luka…" she whispered. Miku looked up at the man. "Could we visit him?"

"Tomorrow, maybe" Luka started shaking even worse.

"Could we go home?" the man nodded.

"Yes. We can call a cab if you want…" Miku shook her head.

"It's ok, we'll take the train" she answered. The trains were practically empty around this hour, so it shouldn't be a bother.

The man nodded, wished them the best and left.

Miku felt tears come to her own eyes as she helped Luka walk out of the school, crutches in her other hand. Luka was basically leaning against her, but Miku didn't mind about that.

The world was just seeming perfect. Absolutely perfect. And now something had to happen. Miku wasn't blaming Luka's father, just their ill luck. There was always something.

Was their love really forbidden, after all?

Miku seated Luka in the train, at the front of the wagon were the fewest people sat. There were only two people in their wagon, and both were in the back, facing the other direction.

Luka was still weeping, but not as bad as before.

Thoughts were whirling around in Miku's head. She practically felt Luka's pain simply through their touch, and everything seemed to go bad.

Luka was suffering, she felt it. She knew memories were flying through her head, she had felt the same as she was waiting for her to exit the operation room. Miku knew the gut-wrenching torment.

She had hoped that Luka would never have to live it for herself.

"Miku…" whimpered the taller girl. Miku tightened her grip around her.

"What is it?"

"I-I want…I want my father to know" she spoke between gulps and hiccups. Miku didn't react, even if she knew what she was talking about. "I-I want him to…to know a-about us" her sentences were spoken with jumps and slides, and she was having difficulty breathing.

Miku didn't know how to react. Sure, one day the parents would have to know, but she never thought it would be so soon. Besides, he probably only had mere days left.

The though wrenched Miku's gut. If he really died, then Luka would be lost for days. Especially if he died thinking that his dear daughter would finish off married to a kind young lad.

"I understand" she whispered. "When will you tell him?" Luka hiccupped again, clutching on Miku's shoulder.

"Tomorrow, as soon as possible" Miku nodded.

"I'll come with you, if you want" Luka managed to shake her head.

"N-no. I want t-to go…go alone." She stuttered. Miku sighed.

"Ok. I'll wait for you at school, then" Luka nodded. Miku didn't want to fight with Luka to make things difficult. If that was what Luka wanted, then Miku could only comply.

The train hissed to a stop, and Miku helped her lover out, not forgetting anything. They gingerly entered the house and were greeted by Luka's mother, who was crying as well.

Miku could only watch with a cracking heart as both mother and daughter cried in each other's arms. In a silent prayer, she hoped for the best.

* * *

><p>Miku hung up the phone. She had just spoken with the hospital and Crypton.<p>

The first told her that Luka could come see her father the next morning at nine. Luka would then be at school at around nine thirty, if things went well.

Crypton understood the problems Luka was going through. Instead, Miku faxed the unique sheet of paper to the company, so that they could already work on it. Tomorrow, though, they would have to sing it.

Also, they told Miku that a person was coming to their school to discuss about Crypton, and how it worked. Luka would enter the room at about the middle of the discussion, but Luka had said that didn't mind.

Luka's mother left in the evening to go see her husband, and called later to tell the two girls that she was staying there the night. She said that he was better than expected, but still needed intense care. His relieved Luka quite a bit, but she still shed a tear every now and then.

Miku stirred the soup carefully. She wanted to be next to Luka, but she couldn't let the soup burn. Luka was on the couch now, sipping some tea.

Miku sighed. She didn't know how it was to have parents, she never had any. But she had a nanny, and she remembered the pain having been announced her departure. The man who told her that…wasn't he her brother? He was a doctor, wasn't he? Yes… he had an odd name, too.

Miku judged the soup ready and poured it into a bowl. She next to Luka carefully, as if she were sick.

Luka almost looked like that was the case. She was pale and seemed destroyed.

"How are you feeling, Luka?" she asked carefully. Luka groaned and put her cup down. She grabbed the bowl Miku handed to her and slowly drank its contents.

Miku didn't know what to say or do. She wasn't good at handling things at situations like these.

Luka emptied her bowl, and collapsed in Miku's arms. Miku immediately hugged her, protecting her, wishing she could banish those bad feelings like she banished bears and pick-pockets. If only she could protect the girl she loved from sorrow.

"Miku?"

"What is it, Luka?" she asked, running her fingers through her hair. Luka hiccupped.

"You'll always stay with me, right? Even if my parents don't accepts us, will you stay with me?" Miku put her cheek on her head.

"Always, Luka. Always"

00oo00

Miku quickly turned off her alarm. She was going to school, but she was going to let Luka sleep until she was allowed to go to the hospital.

She re-set the alarm for eight, giving her beloved one enough time to get dressed and to go to the hospital. She set a note beside Luka's bed, explaining that she would go to the hospital as she desired, and that Crypton would have a car for her outside. With a small kiss, Miku departed for school, heart heavy and feeling expectant for the worst.

During the whole train ride, Miku felt anxious. And the feeling was increasing by the second. Even when Meiko appeared with the boys, no matter what they did (even get Gakupo's head stuck in the doors), Miku couldn't cheer up.

Luka's parents were going to know about them in less than two hours. They would give Luka their consent, or probably go to disowning her.

And that worried her. Not about being accepted, but about how Luka would feel. How does it feel like to be rejected by th0se with whom you have grown up? But the duo who have raised you?

Terrible, Miku knew it in her gut.

"Miku, what is on your mind?" asked Meiko quietly, now knowing that jokes aren't going to help. Miku sighed and looked at her with anxious eyes.

"Too much, and too little" One big subject, nothing to distract her from it. Meiko sighed.

"Look, I was just like that when you two decided to play a game of survival. All you have to do is look ahead, and stop dwelling" Miku shook her head.

"It's what is ahead that is scaring me, Meiko. I front of me in my timeline is either a heaven or a black hole. And the latter is the most probable" Meiko shook her head.

"Think positive!" Miku shook her head again. A girl loving a girl wasn't accepted these days. Especially by parents, who were raised by an older generation. She had practically no chance whatsoever.

"What is there to think positive about?" she whimpered. When the train hissed, she stepped outside like a zombie.

The fear was devouring her alive.

When the bell rang, she stepped into the class. A woman was already there. She was quite big and reminded her of a toad, but her eyes shone with kindness.

"Class, today we will have an exhibition of how Crypton works and how music is produced there" announced the teacher. Miku couldn't care less. Instead, she just followed as a zombie as the class headed for the library.

She started shaking. How was all this going to end?

She looked at the clock, and knew that the alarm was ringing.

* * *

><p>Luka groggily opened her eyes and smacked down the alarm.<p>

Oh…what a day.

She felt sore all over, especially her legs. She had been standing for too long without crutches.

The memories from the previous day hit her like a ton of bricks.

She felt like dying.

But no. she had one big reason to live. The biggest thing in her life, in fact.

Miku.

She had been so kind…it hurt Luka to cry whenever she comforted her.

Luka sat up groggily, trying to hold back her tears. The small note on the pillow next to her caught her attention.

She slowly picked it up, not wanting to get too excited too fast.

_Hey, Luka._

_Feeling better? I truly hope so. _

_I am at school, and now, when you read this, it's probably nine and five minutes, seeing how long you take to wake up. _

Luka looked at the clock and smiled when she saw that the girl was right.

_You said you wanted to go to the hospital. A car from Crypton will drive you there, and then to school, when you're done talking with your parents. Come join me quickly, ok? I hope you feel better. Good luck,_

_Miku_

Luka sighed. Yes, she had to tell her dad. About them.

A fear started nibbling at her consciousness.

How was the news going to be accepted?

Without knowing exactly what she was going, she got up and dressed.

* * *

><p>Luka walked down the familiar halls of the hospital.<p>

For some strange reason, she used no crutches. For the first time in weeks she was walking on her feet.

The woman at the counter told her that it was in the room 120 where her father was resting. Apparently he had gotten much better, but needed to avoid strenuous activities and stress.

Luka had only listen until she had heard the number, but only stayed for the rest of the time out of sheer politeness.

Fear was devouring her now. She was scared of the worst.

She trusted her parents, and yet she had no idea how they will react to their relationship.

They had talked about it at dinner, a few times. They had said themselves that they had hated Miku for quite some time simply because she was the reason of Luka's supposed death. They said that their feelings have reversed once they saw her step out of the forest, but Luka wasn't sure.

If they got mad at her for stealing her life, then how will they react when they learn she had stolen her heart?

The room appeared in front of her way too quickly in her opinion.

She should have brought Miku.

Luka needed support, the hand that she squeezed when she was scared.

With her own shaking, trembling hand, she opened the door, mind going numb.

Her father was lying in a bed, many things strapped to him. He seemed awake but only a bit tired, and he was talking with his wife.

Both paused when Luka entered the room. Their faces lit up but when they saw her absolutely terrified expression, they paused.

What was happening?

Luka felt her heart wrench as they suddenly noticed her troubled face.

She swore she was going to faint right now.

She took a deep breath.

"Dad, Mom, I need to tell you something…"


	11. Blacked Out

Miku was biting her nails, barely listening anymore. All she knew was that the lady was telling the truth, life as a singer was hard, bla this and bla that.

But by now, Luka must have already confessed to her parents and was coming over here.

Fear was making her go mad. She had already slapped Gakupo across the face for no particular reason whatsoever. Her mind told her she felt like it.

She could practically hear every second tick by slowly and painfully.

The door to the library opened. Well, Miku thought she was in a library, but she could hardly tell. She was drowning.

Her face lit up and her stomach shattered to pieces when she saw Luka.

She looked like a mess. Pale, had rings under her eyes. And it looked like she had been crying, too.

Luka was greeted silently by the class as she came into view, and the lady then continued to talk.

Miku grabbed Luka by the sleeve and dragged her off, vaguely aware of Meiko following them with her eyes.

Miku was now splattering in deep, black water, holding out a hand she was desperate for Luka to grab.

"Well?" she asked, desperate. Luka smiled weakly.

"Well, what?" dread filled Miku's stomach.

It hasn't gone well. Luka's tone, eyes, everything told her so.

Had she been disowned? Kicked out? Shun? Banished?

A smirked spread across Luka's faces.

"There is nothing bad to tell!" she said theatrically.

"Huh?" Miku didn't understand anymore.

Luka leaned towards her, stealing a long, deep kiss.

Miku immediately responded, pushing Luka against the bookcases.

She still didn't know if things had gone good or bad, but this, this she wasn't staying out of.

She felt Luka smile into the kiss, and Miku pulled back.

"Will you finally tell me?" she asked, desperate. Luka smirked.

"They like you" she answered. Miku felt her legs go weak. Luka leaned forward again, just so that their noses touched. "They like us"

Miku couldn't have felt more relived in the world. She had been freed, liberated.

With a new-found power, Miku pushed her against the bookcase again, kissing her wildly.

This was heaven, knowing that you are with the person you love with nobody saying 'no' about it.

It continued on for what seemed ages. Ages of paradise. The endless rollercoaster of emotions and bliss never stopping, always continuing.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Both separated and blanched whiter than sheets.

Luka and Miku whitened by the second. Completely frozen, immobile.

Gakupo, Kaito and Meiko were standing there, all with different expressions. Meiko seemed as if she was expecting this, Kaito seemed appalled and Gakupo looked like he had just seen a murder. A trembling finger was pointing at them as all the other classmates who were scattered around the library ran in their direction.

Both gulped and Miku wanted to curse their ill luck and stupidity. They are the very best at hiding things, aren't they? Every single secret they keep is kept for years!

No, every secret cracks under a month's limit.

"What the hell is this?" gasped Gakupo, still pointing. Meiko swatted his hand down.

"Gakupo, let our two friends make themselves presentable before asking for answers" she said with a light smirk.

The two divas panicked, straightening their clothes and wiping their mouths as they went from white to deep red. And yet, they still stood side-by-side.

Both were trembling a little. They had been scared out of their wits. And also, now the whole school was going to know.

How were they going to react?

That simple question made them shiver in fear.

Both feeling the other's discomfort, they intertwined their fingers for support.

Now the whole class was looking at them, most understanding exactly what was happening while others were just confused. Gakupo was still pointing stupidly at them, though now with his other hand.

"What…?" he gasped out. Meiko simply smirked.

"You know, I was kinda expecting this from you two!" her smile widened "but seeing you two like that…darn that was weird" Gakupo suddenly seemed to wake up.

"I-It's not weird!" he almost yelled. His expression then seemed to turn a little towards anger "It's wrong! You're both girls!"

This hit the duo like a bat hits a ball.

Luka's face grew stern while Miku felt her hand roll up in a fist.

"That's the last thing our love is" declared Luka plainly. Gakupo froze, while the other student's eyes went wide.

"When did it start?" asked Meiko with a smirk. Gakupo and Kaito were too frozen to speak. The others didn't dare make a sound. The two diva's eyes were glowing, so better keep away from them.

Luka looked at Miku and smiled. They both knew the answer.

"The moment our eyes met for the first time" declared the pink-haired girl, smirking now as well.

The whole room exploded, even Neru didn't expect that. Gakupo had started weeping, almost, while Kaito was mumbling something incoherent. Meiko lost her smirk.

"Eh?" she asked, stunned. Her crossed arms had fallen to her sides. Everybody silenced just to hear the reply.

Luka was looking them as if she was riding an elephant, surrounded by gold.

"Well, if was subconscious, of course. That is why I started teasing Miku from the first place. I couldn't stand her avoiding everyone; I wanted her to look at me. So, I made her" her face dropped. "Well, I didn't know that was the reason until a few weeks ago" Miku grinned.

"You know you were a lot to handle. I was tired, hungry, and pretty busy the whole time. Your teasing me made my life hell" she teased. Luka pouted.

"How was I supposed to know?" Miku smiled.

"You know I don't really care about that anymore" Luka relaxed, but still pouted. She didn't like it when Miku reminded her of their past.

The smaller diva turned towards the still gaping crowd.

"The contest and all, we have Len to thank for that. Luka winning was real, I didn't know I really liked her until a few days after" Luka continued the story.

"I was depressed the day of our fall because I discovered that Miku was holding a big secret from me. That simple fact made me want to die. If I wasn't worth of her trust, then who was I? The meaning for life seemed gone for me"

"When I woke up on the bottom of the cliff, Luka was still asleep, bleeding profusely. I cleaned her, made her drink the water from the small river, but never checked if she was really dead or not. I was just that scared of finding no pulse"

"When I woke up, the first thing I saw where birds pecking at me. Miku chased them away, screaming that I was alive. I wanted to call out to her, and I couldn't. I was motionless. It felt weird, odd. But when Miku looked at me, I felt relief spread through my limbs. But also pain. I wasn't able to help her, and could only watch as Miku brought me water, went to hunt, and fought off the bear. I was helpless"

"As I dragged us out, the only thing that kept me alive was Luka. If she had not been there, I would have died"

"When I woke up in the hospital, the very first thing I did was kiss her"

"When I woke up in the hospital, the first thing I wanted, needed to do was join her"

"When we get out of school, the first thing I'll do is marry her" finished Luka.

Miku looked at her with wide eyes, not believing that final sentence.

The whole crowd was non-believing, frozen in shock.

Where they really like that?

It was so much to handle.

But Miku was thinking about other things. Her mind was racing.

Did Luka just ask her hand in marriage? Although in a slightly indirect way, it was still what she had said…

She felt her heart races and her eyesight become blurry.

This was possibly the happiest moment of her life.

"Yes…" was all she could say. With a tremendous amount of tears, she flung herself in Luka's arms, not feeling better in any way possible.

Everybody was in utter confusion, even Meiko at this moment.

"Wow, wow, wow, gals! Please…" she interrupted the hug, and let Miku wipe her tears for a moment. "So…right after we left the hospital…ever since…you two have been lovers?" she asked, trying to find a bit of reason.

"Right-o" replied Luka, a smile upon her face, eyes teary as well.

"So… It's been almost three weeks?" she asked. The two divas nodded. Meiko blushed a bit before asking the next question. "How far are you?"

The two singers turned red immediately and averted gazes. What kind of a question was that?

"I mean…you have known each other for about two years…you really get to know each other for less than half a year, you go out for already three weeks, and already there's a wedding on the program!" she continued. "That _is _a bit quick!"

She waited for an answer.

"Far…" replied Miku with a red face. Meiko looked to the side and saw that most boys had a bleeding nose.

"Oh no, you guys are not ruining this moment!" yelled the brunette. "There was just a proposal, you guys are not going to bleed right now!" with a mighty kick, she sent them sprawling to the ground. Meiko smiled at the red-faced divas. "Well, then. We shall leave you two alone for a moment…" she said with a grin, pulling the rest of the crowd away from the scene, leaving the duo alone.

"That was…"

"Embarrassing" finished the smaller girl. Luka laughed weakly.

"You know…I meant it, what I said" Miku smiled and looked at Luka.

"I know you did" Luka turned towards her as well.

"So…how do think they took it?"

"Well, Meiko took the news pretty well" Miku frowned.

"But the others didn't seem too enthusiastic about us" Luka grinned.

"They did when Meiko asked the most embarrassing question possible" Miku pouted.

"Hey! Not my fault. And also, those guys are perverts!" Luka froze.

"You know what…I think they may still be watching us"

A 'come on!' came from a little bit further up. Miku grinned.

"Well…better face them than hide" she declared. Luka nodded, took her hand and emerged from the rows of bookcases.

Both were worried. Their secret had been let out much earlier than intended. But then again, they weren't the best at keeping secrets.

But they had things to do right now. Both knew that.

Somehow, they had to make the whole school keep tight-lipped about the subject. The two divas didn't want this to become world news so soon.

Luka wondered where everyone went. The whole place that seemed so crowded before now seems deserted.

She walked up to the teacher.

"Hello, sir" he looked up from the paper.

"Ah! There you two are!" he looked around "My, the rest of the class seems to have gone missing. Where is everybody?" he asked. Luka shrugged.

"I don't know" he sighed.

"Well, we still need to finish that presentation, but not with the room empty. Could you find them?" he asked. Miku nodded, and the two girls headed in opposite directions to search.

Meiko crunched her fists.

"Ok, listen up everybody. We are all kind of in a chain of surprises right now. First, Luka befriends Hatsune, then we learn that Hatsune is Miku, and right after, both die and survive. Now, it seems that both are going out and planning to get wed!" she scanned the class. She had forced everybody in this corner of the room to hold a tiny audience.

"What do you guys think of that last part?" she asked slowly. Nobody answered, everybody being too scared of interrupting her. "Raise your hands, then you can talk" she spoke.

Gakupo raised his hand.

"Well…both are girls! It's…abnormal" he spoke. Meiko sighed.

"Yes, we know that that simple fact throws us all off. It's the big part of this news. How do you guys feel about that?" Neru raised her hand, still texting with her other hand.

"I support them. Love is love; there is no restricted format to it. If you are all going to make a fuss about that, then you're all weird" she stated. Teto raised her hand as well.

"I think it's odd…but not disgusting" she said. A boy also got his turn to speak.

"Well…I don't think it's natural. I mean…there are two different genders for a reason" he explained. Rin also got her turn.

"Yes, but chemistry and love are things we can't control. If they fell in love with a girl, then it isn't their fault"

Meiko nodded, and let Len take his turn.

"Honestly, I think we should leave them alone about it. Not in a negative way, though. If their love is strong enough to make them survive such a fall, then I support it"

Meiko cleared the throat.

"Well then, here is my decision…" she paused for dramatic effect. "Nobody here holds a grudge against the two divas, right?" no answer "I'll take that as a yes. So, we keep this to ourselves. Let them tell the world when they want. If you don't feel comfortable about it, then just don't speak to them, don't make unnecessary trouble and cause problems. Their work is hectic and Luka's father just got a heart attack. A just because they like a girl doesn't change who they are" she finished.

"There you are!" came a slightly amused call. Meiko turned around to see Miku approach them, though a little shyly. "The teacher's waiting for you all" she stated. Meiko smiled.

"Very well, we'll come!" she answered. Miku smiled, and left.

Meiko turned towards the class.

"Anybody who harms them in any way will get tattle-tailed by me towards Luka. Imagine her with a huge fish, and mad as hell. Don't want that against you, right?" she said menacingly before departing as well.

Miku sighed.

Great, they had held a talk about them.

Well, maybe it wasn't that bad.

"Hey, Luka!" she called. Luka smiled. "I found them, they're coming"

"Good" Luka frowned. "I can see you're worried" Miku sighed again.

"Yeah, a little" she admitted. "It's also your father, how is he?" she asked. Luka smiled.

"He's healing great! They say his life isn't in danger anymore. Everything seems to go well right now" Miku smiled in relief.

"That's good to hear" Luka frowned again.

"You're still worried" Miku grinned at her.

"You, too" Luka huffed in defeat. Both knew exactly what was going on in the other's heads.

The others now held a power over them. They could decide to tell the world anytime they wanted, and crush their reputation and possibly their lives.

Meiko caught up with them.

"Hey, you lovebirds, I had a talk with the class for you guys to get that off your shoulders!" she said happily. "Everybody's cool with keeping it a secret, and those haters will leave you alone. So you guys can live in peace!"

Both divas smiled.

"Thank you, Meiko. We-"

"I know! You're always so busy, both of you! We just heard a little explanation about how Crypton works, and frankly, I'm surprised you guys are alive! So, I wanted to help a little bit!"

"But…don't you feel uncomfortable with us, seeing that you're also a girl?" asked Miku carefully. Meiko scoffed.

"Never in the world! Besides, who ever said you were gay? It could possibly just be you two. Nobody ever said you _only _liked girls!" she explained. Miku sighed.

"And…" Meiko sighed.

"Ah…the guys. You know, I think Kaito will take it eventually, but Gakupo seems a little weird about it" Luka sighed.

"He was always a bit stiff" Meiko laughed.

"Heh that reminds me…those 'family jokes'. I think I get them now" she chuckled. "Straight…" the rubbed her forehead, holding back laughs. "Gee, Luka. You never make so many jokes. 'Rocked the house', ha. Miku went so red at that one" Miku blushed again while Luka chuckled.

"I think I should stop making them, then"

"You better, they embarrass the hell outta me!" scoffed the smaller star. Meiko slapped her on the back.

"No worries! Just know that I am perfectly comfortable with you guys, and that the others can go rot in kitty litter!" Miku laughed.

"Those jokes I can laugh too" she stated.

"Ah! Where are the others?" asked the teacher as they approached.

"Coming" replied Meiko, remembering another joke Luka made.

Indeed, the others appeared not a minute after, seeming a bit silent.

"Well, now that you're all here, now Luka and Miku can explain how their jobs at Crypton work themselves!" exclaimed the man. Both stars jumped. Wait, they were supposed to make a small explanation themselves?

They had missed a chapter.

Nevertheless, the stood in front of the class.

Miku suddenly felt very uncomfortable. All these eyes looking at her were judging, trying to find out if she is human or not. Some eyes, like the twins', held support. Others, like Teto's, held indifference. But Gakupo's were…

Mad.

He was mad at her for stealing Luka from him.

Miku felt Luka grip her hand again.

She felt bad. She didn't want to make anybody unhappy or mad. But still…

Miku was hardly able to listen as Luka explained how their jobs worked at Crypton. Funny, how the apprentice was teaching them how it worked.

Miku didn't know how to feel, actually. She was overjoyed, scared, anxious, and tired. The girl trembled of sheer happiness at the thought; Luka had proposed! Sure, it wasn't romantic, sure, there was no ring, sure, it wasn't the typical girl's dream, but for Miku, it seemed strangely perfect.

But then…Gakupo had known her for a longer time. They had been friends for a long time. And Luka tossed them away, almost. Of course, now they're all friends, but Gakupo must hate her now.

Frankly, Gakupo deserves her more than she did. All Miku did to Luka was make her life difficult. A hard job, the best kind of tour through the woods… she didn't really do her any good, ever. She put the whole story with Dorian on her shoulders, cried on her over a report, put her in a hospital, and made her turn against her friends.

What good did she ever do to Luka?

Surely something good, because she knew Luka loved her as much as she did. Her words and actions proved it.

But really, she didn't deserve her.

When the library emptied at the sound of the bell, Miku woke up.

"Say, Miku, what is it?" Miku wanted to simply smile at the sound of her voice, speaking to her in that tone.

"I'm just…worried"

"Worried about what?"

"Well, Gakupo. He's mad at me, I swear" Luka tsked.

"Don't worry about him. He's stubborn, but kind. I'm sure he will turn up in a few days" Miku smiled, but Luka saw through her. "There is something else" Miku sighed.

"Well…what good have I done to you? All I did was make your life miserable, almost" Luka chuckled, surprising Miku.

"Not at all Miku, you made my life an exciting rollercoaster that still hasn't ended, and that I wouldn't want to end for the world" Miku smiled, a little reassured.

They entered their class. It was slightly noisy, since the teacher hasn't entered yet. And seeing that this was math class, he was sure to be late…again.

They seated themselves, and Miku turned towards Luka.

"Say, Luka. What happened with your parents?" Luka grinned, also turning a little red.

"Well…"

**_"Dad, Mom, I need to tell you something…"she stated. Breath was missing her. She saw the worried looks on their faces, and suddenly wondered if telling them now, right after the man got a heart attack, was a good idea._**

**_"What is it?" asked the woman, visibly worried. "Did something happen at school?" _**

**_Luka shook her head. If only it was that easy to say…_**

**_Their reaction scared her more than ever._**

**_"Did you get a bad grade?" asked the man._**

**_"No…" why was this so difficult? Oh, if only she had brought Miku. Then it might have been easier. "It's…" Luka exhaled sharply, rubbing her forehead. This was so difficult to say._**

**_"Honey, what is it that is so hard to say?" she looked at the ground._**

**_"I…" her sentence got lost again. This seemed impossible. _**

**_"Honey, take your time. We aren't pressuring you" reassured the mother. Luka wanted to yell. Their simple being in the same room was pressuring her. _**

**_"Whatever you say, we won't get mad" reassured the man. Really?_**

**_"I don't know…" breathed the girl. This was so hard, and it was taking so long…a look at the clock told her that it had only been two minutes. Why did it seem like two years?_**

**_"It's just…" she inhaled deeply. She was going to have to say it eventually, so better say it now. "Miku and I…" her breath caught. Luka closed her eyes. "We're going out"_**

**_Silence. Luka carefully opened an eye. _**

**_"Told you I heard things at night" said the woman with a smirk towards her husband. He grinned._**

**_"Well…that is amusing"_**

**_"Eh?" asked Luka, incredulous and red. Did her mother just suggest what she thought she did? "What…?" the man turned towards her, a smile on his face._**

**_"Well, my only concern is your fans' reactions. But you understand that…this sort of love is frowned upon" Luka felt relief wash upon her, but she still felt anxious for some reason._**

**_"Well, there is a reason I had a hard time saying it…" she breathed, feeling her heart start to beat quickly. _**

**_"Very well. From what we heard, she makes you happy…so you have my consent" Luka reddened again. Now she understood how Miku felt when she pulled those jokes. She turned towards her mother._**

**_"It actually doesn't surprise me. You two have been so close…and I suspected something had happened in the kitchen after your first day of school. Very well. As long as you two are careful, then I'm fine with it" _**

**_Luka couldn't believe it. How did they accept so easily? It was almost too good to be true. Way too good. _**

**_"Ha, years ago we had a friend who was also gay. We have no problem with them" admitted her mother._**

**_Luka sighed. _**

**_"And…how are you, father?" he laughed._**

**_"Better than I hoped. I just got fired, and that shocked me a little" he stated. _**

**_"What? Fired?" asked Luka, incredulous. "Why?" he smiled._**

**_"It seems that I was too good for them…but don't worry, we'll make it" he said, reassuring the girl._**

**_"So, you'll be fine?"_**

**_"Yep!"_**

**_Luka breathed in relief. Everything was now perfect._**

**_She had to tell Miku. _**

**_A grin spread on her face._**

**_"Sorry! Gotta go!" she exclaimed, as she ran out of the door. The woman smiled._**

**_"She has grown"_**

**_"She sure has" _**

**_ "But from now on, she's doing her laundry" she stated with a smile. _**

Miku looked at Luka in shock. Has she really been accepted that easily?

"Incredible…" Luka grinned.

"Well, that's the better for us" Miku smiled as well.

"Hmm…everything is fine right now" she leaned into Luka, who took her in her arms in a friendly hug.

Both were really tired, but happy.

Meiko watched from a distance with a smile on her face.

She had just spoken with Neru. The blonde knew absolutely everything about everyone, so she had the girl promise who would spill the two diva's secret and when. Neru said that she wasn't a pro in that kind of work, but that she could try. She really liked the two divas; they were good friends of hers', so she would try. Len had said that his sis was good at that, and she had accepted the job right away.

So the two girl's secret was safe in the class. If anybody let a word slip, then they would let Luka go on them. Tuna and all.

Meiko was a little worried, though. Not about Kaito; he was sure to consent in a day. But Gakupo worried her.

The two had known each other for years, and Gakupo had been crushing on the girl the whole time. Every day he hoped that Luka would one day like him back. But then…Miku shows up. And now they all learn that she had ruined his chances with the girl.

But maybe they were meant to be. Seriously, one could say that they had been chosen by fate just by looking at them together.

When the teacher entered the class, Meiko almost regretted seeing the two girls break their embrace.

How was their love so powerful?

* * *

><p>Miku sighed as she entered the household. The very first thing she did was collapse on the couch.<p>

Darn, she was tired.

"Come on, Miku. We have to finish our duet" announced Luka. Miku smiled.

"I know…"

"What are you so happy about?" Luka asked with a grin.

"I already said…everything now seems perfect"

"Yes, but that is no reason to stop working" Miku pouted.

"Mood-breaker" the taller girl shrugged.

"I know, I know. But…" she sat next to Miku as the smaller diva sat up "The sooner we finish, the sooner we can get our minds off work~"

"You're such a tease" mumbled Miku, crossing her arms. "Just when I could be happy a moment, you have to spoil it…" Luka laughed a little.

"Come on, Miku"

Before Miku could reply, the phone rang.

"I wonder…" mumbled the taller girl, going towards the ringing electrical instrument.

"Hello?" she asked.

-Luka, could you tell me what the hell this means? - came a voice.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Meiko" when the caller didn't introduce him/herself, it was always Meiko.

The girl grumbled.

-I got this thing from Crypton! It's in official polite language, so I don't understand an egg-rolling word!-

Luka wanted to sigh. Meiko could never read anything in that genre.

"Read it to me, then"

-That is nice to hear. Well…- she put on an official tone that didn't sound like Meiko at all. -–Dear Sakine Meiko, we have the pleasure to announce to you that your composition, by the name of 'Change Me', will have the chance of appearing in the famous Hatsune Miku's and Megurine Luka's upcoming album, 'Blacked Out', alongside with the writings of many of your friends'. We hope that your legal guardians will respond to this letter as quickly as possible to avoid crowding on the schedule and a possible annulation of this offer. Sincerely, Crypton Music Industry' what the canned French poodle does all that mean?-

Luka and Miku, who was now also listening, were wide-eyed.

"Meiko, you know that song you wrote and that you had to sing in front of the class?"

-What about it? They mention it here, but everything around it makes no sense. And your names are there, too. -

"Well, you know Miku's doctor was there" Miku started biting her lip. How was Meiko going to react?

-What does that dude have to do with all this? - demanded the girl from the other line, getting annoyed.

"He was a Crypton agent. Miku requested that he listened to all of your songs, and yours has been chosen to appear in our album"

-…- Miku stifled a laugh, and Luka was grinning as well. She felt happy to be able to tell the news to her friend herself.

-Are you fire truck-ing serious? - asked Meiko slowly.

"Serious as you are with never really cursing" replied Miku before being pushed away from the phone by Luka.

-So…basically I'm being pulled a Miku-bet. -– Luka laughed at the surname. She was referencing to how Luka became a star.

"Well, not entirely. We just wanted them to listen. If your song really gets good, then you'll end up like us, along with the others" they heard Meiko start to hyperventilate.

-Who are the others? -

"We don't know. But in any case, you have a good chance at becoming a star as well"

-Really? This isn't some sick joke? –-

"No joke, all real business"

-By all the scalping pens…sorry, I gotta go do something. –- Luka grinned when she heard her hang up. Right now Meiko was probably cheering or something like that. When she hyperventilated, she was really, really happy.

"Well, there is one happy gal" stated the taller diva as she hung up the phone. Miku smiled as well.

"I wonder how the others are taking this" she froze all of a sudden. "Especially Gakupo…" she realized with a groan. Luka sighed.

"Yeah…I really hope he turns up soon" Miku looked at her.

"How did you all meet?" Luka laughed.

"Ha! That question...well, actually a bit like us two. You see, Meiko and I, we met because our parents knew each other. Actually, her mom is a dentist. So there I was five years old, waiting in the waiting room, and Mieko comes up to me. Back then, she already had a strange vocabulary. But she was really nice and stayed with me the whole time. Ever since then we hung out together. Then we went in elementary school. The newbies were teased by the older bullies, and we weren't spared. Back then, I was really shy and Meiko only talked to me. So, we were the perfect victims. One day when we were going through one of those teasing sessions, Kaito and Gakupo, our age, stood up for us. We haven't separated ever since. How Gakupo and Kaito met, is another story"

Miku grinned.

"So… how was it like being teased?" Luka exhaled.

"Terrible…"

"I had fun, huh?"

"Sorry!" Miku grinned.

"Bah, doesn't matter anymore"

"So…the duet won't wait!"

Miku banged her head against the wall.

* * *

><p>The two divas walked through the halls.<p>

Now they were going to record their duet and finish the album. For that last part, all their friends had come here for their own songs. It seems as if all of them had been accepted, and all of their parents have accepted a temporary contract to see how this goes.

They were supposed to be here right now, but the two stars were late.

"Hello, Manager" greeted Luka.

"Ah, Luka, Miku, please help us. A friend of yours is screaming nonsense at a guy. I don't know why, but now they're fighting, and all of your other friends are chanting along!" he whispered, a drop of sweat rolling over his forehead.

"That is Meiko" mumbled Luka. "Very well…where is all this happening?"

"There" he answered, pointing towards the recording booth. Miku sighed.

"Luka, remember that guy I pointed out, the one with the red glasses?"

"Yeah?"

"He only get mad when you spill his coffee"

"How do you know it's him?"

"Call it a hunch" they opened the door, and sure enough, the room was full and chanting loudly.

Meiko and said man were in the middle of the room, and on the floor was a coffee puddle. Meiko was smiling evilly while the man seemed frustrated. Besides the onlookers, no other adults were in sight.

Luka sighed, and inhaled deeply.

"Everybody shut up!"

Utter silence.

"Thank you. Now, Meiko, don't spill his coffee. Sir, there is another coffee vending machine down the hall. Please call your coworkers, we have a long day" ordered Miku.

"Yes" mumbled both adult and girl, the man leaving the room.

"So, who is here?" asked Luka.

Meiko, for sure, was there. Kaito, Gakupo where present as well. The twins were visible, as well as Neru and Haku, and even Gumi, who seems a little put apart. She knew nobody here.

All seemed anxious and nervous. Nobody has been here before, and everything seemed to intimidate them.

"Ok…Hi, everybody! Happy you all could make it!" greeted the smaller star. "Who wants to go first?" she asked.

Silence again.

"Hey, people! This isn't a prison! Come on, besides making fights and messes, make yourself at home!" cried Luka.

At that moment, the crew entered the room.

"Ah, hello everyone" greeted a tall man with bright red hair. The room mumbled a greeting. He laughed. "Come on, wake up! You are all probably going to become famous! Now, have any of you ever been in a recording room?" he asked. "Besides Luka and Miku, that is?"

Silence once more. He grinned.

"Well then! Our two divas are going to sing first, and then the bravest of you all are going next! How is that?" the whole audience mumbled in agreement.

"Ok, let's go!" cheered Miku before stepping in the room. Luka followed, closing the door behind them.

"Now everybody watch, and see how it's done" ordered the man, still smiling kindly. "Those two are real pros. The more you see, the more you learn"

Everybody crowded in front of the glass, almost disturbing the crew. The room was really full.

"Look. The tempo with be heard in their headsets. When we push the correct button, the music starts playing, and they sing to it. Don't be surprised if they start acting all bizarre when they sing. When Miku was recording 'Love is War', she was almost weeping. So, please, no laughing, pointing, snickering, squinting, fainting, barfing, farting, winking, twitching, breathing and moving. Got it?" he asked with a smile.

"Good. Well, here goes!" he pushed the button, listening to his own headset as well.

The whole groups watched as the duo started singing.

Their words were sincere, deep, and clear. The lyrics flew out of their mouths, perfect in harmony with the melody, never too slow or too fast.

The moment seemed to drag on forever, and yet once the song finished, it felt as if it had just started.

"Well, they did pretty good, eh?" Meiko smiled.

"I love that song already!" she turned towards the others, who were staring at her as if she were a bug. "What? It's charming, it has a nice tune, they sound great and you can tell that they're speaking the truth!"

"I like it, too!" declared Rin. "Forbidden love is bittersweet, really"

At that moment the two singers entered the room.

"How did we do?" asked the smaller star.

"Great!" replied the redhead. She scoffed.

"You know I'm never convinced. We want this to be perfect, so hand that thing over!" she said with a smile. Both stars were handed another headset, and they listened to what was playing carefully.

Everybody watched as they auto-evaluated their own work. Sometimes they frowned or shook their heads.

"No, we go to do it again" declared Luka, setting down the set.

It continued so for about an hour, re-singing and re-playing their song, sometimes nodding, other times frowning.

They wondered how long this was going to last. And everybody started feeling nervous as well. Was singing really that hard?

"Well, this is taking forever…" mumbled the smaller diva. She turned towards the group. "Well, who wants to start?"

Gumi got up, looking determined. It seemed as if she were going to war.

"I'll go" Luka laughed.

"Relax! This isn't your funeral, so take it easy" she reassured. Gumi nodded, and headed in the room. The man spoke in the microphone.

"Do you want to listen to the music first and correct it?" he asked. Gumi nodded.

For about four minutes Gumi listened to the music in her earphones, smiling a little every now and then. When the song ended she turned towards the men.

"It's perfect!"

"Great. Do you feel comfortable?"

"After that, sure I do!"

"Good, here it comes"

Everybody watched as Gumi sang her song. She already seemed comfortable in the room, singing her creation.

The two divas smiled.

"She's good!" praised Miku.

"Very. She is already in her song" approved her girlfriend.

"Wow, I wonder how she does that" mumbled Meiko. "And not only sing, but stand there and do that in front of us! I mean, I've got crowd fright!"

"Meiko, you?" asked Luka, incredulous. "But you sang fine in front of the class!"

"Yeah…but we know those guys. And also, here it's for recording and a bunch of official stuff, so…" Miku laughed.

"Well, don't worry. It's one-way glass. We can see you, but you can't see us! Gumi sees herself in an empty room, singing by herself! She can't see us right now!" she reassured.

"Really?"

"Yup!

"That makes either reassuring or worse. Seriously, what if one of the guys decides to kill me as I sing? I wouldn't see the gun pointing at me!"

"It's bullet-proof"

"Ok, I'm going next" Kaito laughed.

"Then I'm going after you!"

"I'm after blue-head" declared Neru, texting.

"Me next!" called Rin.

Luka laughed.

"All of a sudden you seem to spring to life!"

At that moment, Gumi finished. She entered the room.

"Wow…that glass is crazy. I swore I was somewhere else for a moment…" she mumbled with a smile.

"Want to listen?" asked the man. She nodded and took the headset.

"While you're listening, the next can go" Meiko ran out, and turned towards them.

"Wow that is egg-ing awesome! I swear it looks like another wall!" she said, incredulous.

"Just take that microphone!" yelled a voice. It echoed through the empty room.

"Miku? Is that you? Wow, you're all over!"

"Just take it!"

"Fine, fine, don't get your twin-tails in a twist" she answered with a smile, taking the equipment.

"Wow… She grinned. This is pretty awesome"

* * *

><p>Luka and Miku sighed and collapsed on the couch.<p>

This day had taken way, way too long.

Recording had taken all night, and they still hadn't finished some of the songs.

Their duet, which they said was called Magnet, was far from done. The two wanted it to be perfect. All the others had said it was really good, but they kept going.

All the newcomers had had great fun. Even Gumi, who has befriended the twins and the two divas pretty quickly, had been able to laugh and crack a few jokes.

The only ones who weren't done with their work were Kaito, Haku and Gakupo.

The two worried about him. He didn't talk at all during the day, and he kept a cold eye for Miku.

But besides all that, their album was looking pretty complete already. It contained 'Love is War', 'Innocence', 'Luka Luka Night Fever', 'World's end Dancehall', 'Just be Friends', 'Distorted Princess' and 'Magnet', not counting the seven others written by their classmates. In total that made 15 songs.

The singing duo had worked very hard for their latest song. They wanted it to express the most feelings as possible, all the time defending themselves slightly and expressing how they couldn't possibly part. The description was put in one word; Magnet. It was perfect. The word fit them perfectly.

They had just brought their friends back to their houses, all wearing big smiles as they left. All had quickly unfrozen to stage fright, and had sung enthusiastically in the microphone.

"I'm thirsty…" mumbled Miku.

"Then get something to drink"

"I don't feel like it"

"Don't be lazy"

"Don't be bossy"

"Go get something to drink"

"I don't feel like it"

"Quit whining" Miku groaned.

"But my butt hurts" Luka grinned.

"Then-"

"Ok, ok! I'll get something to drink!" yelled Miku, completely awake all of a sudden. Luka grinned even wider. Miku now knew whenever she was going to pull a joke, and did everything to avoid hearing it.

"Get a glass for me too, please!" she called after her.

"Hey! You cheater!" Luka chuckled.

"Be polite, I said please!" Miku grumbled something Luka couldn't hear but came back with two glasses of water.

"Agh…I hate working for so long…" groaned the smaller star as she sat down next to her lover. Luka grinned and took the glass.

"I'm not that tired of it yet, but I believe that one day it will"

"Just wait a year, Luka. Wait a year" right then, a buzzing was heard.

"Darn, that's my phone" said Luka as she got up towards her bag. Miku ignored her and just sat.

"Hey, I got a text from some guy" called Luka. Miku sat up.

"Who?"

"I don't know…" the smaller girl stood and walked next to Luka, peering over her shoulder to look at the text.

It was very vague.

_Hello Megurine Luka,_

_I am one of your biggest fans. Can you meet me in the park, with Miku, if possible? Right now? I really want to meet you two. Your fan,_

_ Piko_

"Piko? Sounds like a cute name" stated Miku. Luka hummed in response.

"Yes, but he's very vague. I wonder…"

"Hey, we're two! And if you want, you can bring your tuna! I'd like to meet somebody new!" Luka smiled.

"Very well. Just let me get my tuna"

"Yay!"

* * *

><p>Miku skipped towards the park, dragging Luka along. Both were wearing their jackets, and Luka also carried her back bag, which contained the fish.<p>

"Come on! He won't wait!"

"How do we know it's a guy? I mean, Piko kinda sounds like a girl name to me"

"I don't know! Just come on!"

They arrived at the destination, seeing it deserted.

"Maybe he's late"

"Hmm" hummed Luka.

For a summer evening, the air was surprisingly fresh. It bit slightly, so Luka wrapped an arm around Miku's shoulders. She wasn't that cold herself.

"Thanks…" muttered the girl, leaning into Luka's embrace.

They felt slightly jealous to the world right then. Why couldn't they do anything any other 'normal' couple could in public? It seemed unjust.

A ringing pierced the silence. Luka struggled to get her phone out of her pocket.

"Hello?"

-Good evening, Megurine Luka. Sorry to disturb you at such a timely hour, but we believe that you know somebody by the name of Kamui Gakupo? -

Luka stiffened, and Miku leaned closer to hear.

"Yes, I know him. He is a close friend. Why do you ask?" a strange feeling started to boil in her stomach.

-We found him here. We checked his phone and found your name in the contacts. We decided to contact you. - Luka swallowed.

"Found him where?"

-Right in front of the Green Goose Bar, drunk. – Miku gasped.

"What?"

-He was screaming nonsense, and we were called to cease the trouble he was making. Could you come over? –

"Yes, right away!" Luka hung up.

"What has he done?" asked Miku.

"Gakupo drank apparently" explained Luka, calling Crypton. They were going to need a ride right now.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Luka~" slurred Gakupo.<p>

The two divas had just entered the scene. Two cops restrained a very drunk Gakupo who was barely standing straight and seemed very stupid.

"Gakupo, what are you doing here?" asked Luka, worried. Gakupo blinked.

"I, uh…"

"You know you're not old enough to drink!"

"I'm sixteen!" he slurred. Miku pinched her nose. He reeked of alcohol.

"There is no appropriate age to drink! Every age is too young! Now tell me, why did you drink?" she asked.

Miku talked with the cops. They explained to her what had happened, and she thanked them and promised to bring the boy back to his home.

"I was sad…" slurred the young man as he supported himself on the two girl's shoulders. Both could handle his weight, especially Miku. Only the stench threw them away. "You…seemed SO Happy…with _her_" he said, looking at Miku. Luka sighed. She should have known.

"Come on Gakupo, we need to get you home"

"No…meh mother…is there"

"And she will get your butt in the right place. That is why we're going there"

"Why don't you like me?" he asked. Luka sighed.

"Gakupo, wait 'till we get to your house"

"I don't wanna!" he protested verbally, but did little action to really protest.

A few minutes later they arrived at Gakupo's doorstep. The mother had opened the door already yelling at people for knocking at doors at almost eleven at night, but when she saw her son in the two diva's arms, drunk as hell, she immediately took action.

Instead of scolding him or yelling, she ushered the two inside and shut the door. The woman gave her son some medicine that would help against the headache the next day, and a glass of water.

She let the two girls bring him to his room after learning that it was because of them he had been drinking. She didn't get angry, just let them be.

"Ok, Gakupo" whispered Luka as she set him on his bed. "What is it?" Miku sat down next to her, looking at Gakupo with worried eyes.

"I don't know…" he slurred, still clumsy. "It's just that…why not me?" Luka sighed.

"Gakupo, I want you to understand that nothing is anybody's fault. I care for you greatly, Gakupo. Ever since we met, I wanted the best for you. My falling in love with Miku is nobody's fault. Nobody could do anything against it, though. But please understand that I didn't ever want this to happen to you"

He sniffled.

"But what do she got that I don't got?" he asked, pointing a finger a foot away from Miku's face. He must be seeing double.

"Everything and nothing, Gakupo. You're not the same person that is all. Miku is Miku, you are you. I fell just happened to fall in love with Miku" the boy sniffled again.

"But…why?"

"It just happened, Gakupo. There is no reason, and there doesn't have to be" He put his head down on his pillow, seeming to think deeply.

"Why are you so nice to me?" he asked Miku. "I mean…we are rivals…" he sighed. Miku smiled.

"You did nothing for me to hate you, Gakupo. I also care for you. I never wanted to harm you or hurt you in any way"

Gakupo sighed.

"You're both so nice to meh…you gimme a career, almost…you take me home…what else?" Luka smiled.

"Whatever necessary, Gakupo" He sighed and fell asleep.

Without a word both girls exited the room, said good bye to the woman and left to their house.

In the park, the dirt was covered in tears.

* * *

><p>The singing duo entered the classroom, slightly nervous. Was Gakupo going to be there?<p>

Sure enough, there he was. He was happily talking with, Meiko, Kaito, and get this, Neru, Haku, and even Gumi.

It seems as if the recording episode had bonded them.

They approached the table.

"Hey, there you guys are!" called Meiko. Gakupo smiled.

"Thanks for helping me yesterday" he stood in front of Miku. "Please forgive my rude manners…I acted like, let's see…a roasted Indian noodle" he grinned, and Miku smiled.

"Forgiven!"

"Cheers!" celebrated Meiko. The more famous duo sat at their table, the others following.

"So, when so we finish our songs?" asked the silver-haired girl. She had been smiling more lately. Miku grinned.

"Well, today, after school, if you want. We will finish our song, too. And…" she looked at their faces. "If you want, you can make a music video for your song" she declared.

"No way!" exclaimed both twins at the same time.

"That's awesome!" cheered Gumi. "What kind?"

"It can be however you want. Just finish your song first, and then we could bring you to the studios!" replied the pink-haired diva.

Ah, so Gakupo was being nice again. That was another worry out of the door. But something was pulling at the back of her mind; Luka couldn't put her finger on what.

A buzzing interrupted her thoughts and everybody watched as Miku pulled her phone from her pocket. She read the message slowly, and grinned wildly.

"No way…!" Luka leaned over her shoulder, read the message, and laughed.

"That's awesome!" she exclaimed.

"What?" asked Kaito, trying to see as well. Miku looked at him, then the others.

"A concert will be held in a month! And-"

"If your songs are popular enough-"

"You guys can be there, too!"

The room exploded with cheers.

* * *

><p>The small group paraded through the halls. They were on their way towards the recording rooms in order to finish the final songs.<p>

Haku decided to go first, then Kaito and Gakupo. The singing duo wanted them to sing first so that they had more time to perfect their duo.

Everybody saw how important that song was to them. Though they didn't let much on in public, they loved each other dearly, deeply. And this song was a way to let it out.

The song itself was very passionate and caring, tear-bringing even. They had worked on it for days on end, and they want it all to be perfect.

Apparently nobody but their classmates and Luka's parents knew of their relationship. Their coworkers were still in the dark. But this wasn't surprising; the duo never let much show whenever they were outside, only a stare or a small touch every now and then. Their intertwined fingers or their lingering gazes on the other were easily overlooked as friendly interactions. And yet…

When you knew what was really happening, it was as evident as a knock to the head. Whenever they touched, an electric snap flew through the air. Whenever their gazes crossed, the temperature of the room rose by a degree or two. When both smiled, it made everything seem so much happier.

Their love was so much stronger than so much other ones.

Their duet summed all that up. It gave them an outlet for their feelings, everybody knew that they were growing tired of bottling them up inside. One day they were going to burst.

But this duet, their song, helped them burst in the best way possible.

Meiko snapped out of her thoughts when Haku started singing.

Haku's song was much rawer than Luka's and Miku's. It was more…aggressive, almost. Nobody except Neru knew what it talked about, but apparently it had marked the silver-haired girl greatly.

Meiko woke up again when Haku stepped out of the room completely content with the results.

Kaito's song…ah, it was quiet and beautiful, though powerful and tear-jerking. The true story had been twisted violently, and it gave this great result.

Meiko hummed with her boyfriend's voice. He was really good at singing, and it fit the song really well.

Gakupo's song was…interesting. A Gambler? What was the real story based on? Nobody knew, but he sang it great.

"Hey, Meiko, you seem kinda dreamy today!" remarked Gumi. Meiko blew a raspberry.

"Yeah…so much is happening. I mean, seriously! We all have a chance to become stars in less than a month!" Gumi sighed contently, Gakupo singing in the background.

"I really like Luka and Miku, and not only as a couple" Meiko looked at her. "They're really nice, both of them. And they're so adorably together~" she hummed. Meiko chuckled.

"Yeah, both are really nice. It's no wonder I wanted to be friends with both right from the start!" Gumi looked at her and Meiko nearly face-palmed. "Yeah…a little later for Miku" Gumi smiled.

"I don't see why anybody would be against them being together. I mean, their link is almost palpable!"

Both looked in the duo's direction. Miku was leaning against Luka's shoulder, the latter resting her head on Miku's. Both seemed incredibly content just by simply being together. And as always, their fingers were intertwined.

"Yeah…" Gumi sighed.

"It kind makes me jealous, though. I and most of us here as well, will never know how that bliss feels like. They know more happiness than we will ever know!" Meiko grinned.

"But that doesn't mean we should hate them"

"On the contrary!"

"Exactly"

* * *

><p>The duo entered the house, slightly tired but content.<p>

Their recording is finally done. Tomorrow, they will all plan their music or picture videos.

The following days are going to be busy.

"Well, look who's here!" called a voice. Luka looked up, recognizing the voice immediately.

"Dad?" the man stepped out of the kitchen, his wife following. Play any kind of dramatic music and this scene would have seemed pretty awesome.

"The one and only!" Miku grinned, and Luka started cheering.

For the following hour, they celebrated the man's return. He had been released from the hospital a few hours ago, declared strong enough to continue his normal life. He didn't have a job, though, but that was the least of their worries.

So all they did for the entire evening was celebrate just like when Luka returned. Everybody was happy and smiling, and even after half an hour they all forgot what they were actually holding a party for.

Late at night, though, the party feeling dropped a bit as they all rested on the couch. When the man saw Miku leaning against Luka's shoulder, he was reminded of something important.

"Ah, that reminds me" he said, sitting up. Luka looked at him, and understood immediately. Fear started nibbling her mind; did he change his mind? "My daughter is dating the famous Hatsune Miku" he rubbed his chin with a small smile. The woman laughed.

"Really, we never thought that would ever happen" he chuckled.

"Yes, indeed. Hearing that was…a little surprise" both girls blushed, and Miku started fidgeting. The man cleared his throat.

"Though…I want to talk to you two…about that" they all sat up, ready for his long speech. "You both know that your kind of romance is…frowned upon these days" he smiled. "We, on the contrary, think that forbidden love is something sweet" the woman smiled as well.

"Yes…like Romeo and Juliet, only more exiting" both girls blushed once more.

"But, you must know that. If anybody started thinking you were going out, then the news would spread like wildfire" he looked at the two. "Your deeds in the forest have made you two world-wide news. Now your music is being sold worldwide, everybody knows about you two. If even a rumor started…then it could be bad"

Luka sighed.

"We know about all that. We know the dangers. But…" she looked downwards. "We are like two sides of a coin. We can't"

"Exist without the other" finished Miku. The parents nodded. "And…frankly, I don't really care if I get fired or flogged, as long as Luka is there" the pink-haired girl smiled.

"Same for me. The world can end; I'll live as long as I do at your side" Miku smiled as well.

"Very well, but on one condition" spoke the woman. Both girls looked at her. "From now on, you are doing your laundry. Especially the bed sheets" the two divas blushed bright red.

"O-ok…" stuttered Miku. The two adults laughed, making the duo blush even more.

* * *

><p>Two weeks passed in a blur. School was normal, so was regular life, but work…<p>

Crypton was a real anthill. Preparations for the concert were being made, and everybody was working wildly on their music videos.

Their songs still haven't been released. Not one, not even 'Distorted Princess', written almost a month ago. But there was a reason.

They were going to be the main attraction at the concert. First Crypton's singers will, well, sing. Then, the 'new faces' will appear on stage.

First was the not-so-popular, but still-popular-enough Lily was going to sing to 'Marie-Louise'. It was well-known, but her name sadly wasn't as much.

Even if all three girls worked in the same company, Miku or Luka had never known or even seen Lily. She wasn't as busy the whole time, and was said to be lazy. But her bright humor was also well-known.

Next on the program was Miku, then Luka, Miku again, both, and on and on until they didn't have any more songs to sing. Then, finally, Neru was going to appear onstage, singing Miku's 'Meltdown'. She didn't want to write an original song, but Miku had told her to sing it, always having thought her own voice was too high for that sad song. Meiko would be next, closely followed by Kaito and Haku, leading to the twins, Gakupo and Gumi. Then the singing couple would finish with their magnificent duet.

Everybody was anxious about it even if it took place in two weeks. They had time to practice, and practice they did.

Every day after school they would all head to the stage, still in process of being built, and rehearse their songs. When the stage would be able to, the music would also be added to their practice, and then they could do everything just as if the concert really was taking place.

So, nobody was scared of failing during the concert. What scared everybody, except Miku, were the crowds.

Everybody was anxious about how their entry would be taken. Nobody besides themselves knew about their admittance to Crypton, not even the exterior crew.

Gakupo stepped out of the room and sighed.

"Darn…how long is this going to take?" he asked, pulling off his suit. He was making a picture video, everything in black and white. Gumi, Kaito and Meiko would also be seen in his video once or twice, but their shots were simple and finished. Just Gakupo needed to finish some touches.

Kaito was also making a picture video, and most of the others were starring in it as well. Only he was _killing _them. Not that they minded, on the contrary. His taste for the lyrics was fresh, and was sure to be welcomed openly.

Meiko also had preferred a picture video. Hers had only select colors that blended well and badly. It was going to be entertaining to see.

Haku didn't want to make a video. She didn't fear the crowds one bit, but she feared cameras more than anything. If she crossed one in the halls she would freak and faint.

Len, with his 'Servant of Evil', was making a mix of the two kinds of videos. Some of the pictures moved, but that was it. Miku and Kaito would be seen in it, and that bugged Miku a little bit. In the video she would be seen as Kaito's lover. But the video itself would be tragic.

Rin's was almost sadder, and made the same kind of video as her brother. Len was seen in it, as the 'lonely scientist'. At the end, she would throw flower petals over his grave.

Gumi was the only newcomer who dared to make a real music video. Only…it was either black, or white. But the changing shapes were fun to see.

Miku and Luka…nobody knew besides themselves. Their progress was unknown, what they were making was unknown…even their choreography was a mystery. When they practiced, they would just sing, and not dance their practiced steps. And all that only because the concert would be the day their music would be released, the company decided to show the music videos as well. They would be projected on the black screen behind them as they danced and sang.

So everybody was a little impatient for the concert as well. They wanted to know what the singing duo had done, and where going to do. Did they make something for 'World's end Dancehall'? Or Luka's own song, 'Luka Luka Night Fever'? Or did they prepare something big for 'Magnet', or 'Distorted Princess'? All of them, or none?

Nobody beside them knew.

Even when they were asked the question a million times, they never caved in. Meiko cursed in her way the forest for giving them steel nerves and iron patience.

Luka smirked at Gakupo's complaint.

"A long time, Gakupo. A long time" he sighed.

"Yeah…but I'm not used to this" he muttered, strolling towards his locker. Now they all had a locker and a changing room for all of their uniforms. Hey each had at least five, most for their own videos or for their presence in their friend's video.

Luka chuckled.

"Well, me neither. I only got what, a month of Crypton before I disappeared in the forest?" she answered. Gakupo turned to her.

"Yes, but that was even more work, and now you're doing exhausting things daily, and, if my resources are correct, nightly, too" Luka blushed.

"How dare you!" he grinned.

"Well, I'm an old friend of yours, so I can dare a lot" Luka sighed, and decided not to take the tuna out. Besides, she was a little tired, anyway…

Ok, maybe he wasn't completely wrong.

"Oh, and by the way…in the forest I couldn't move" Gakupo rolled his eyes and looked at her.

"Oh, really? Or where you just that exhausted from all the things Miku had done to-"

"Shut up and get changed" with a shove, she pushed him in his changing room and locked the door from the outside. With a smirk she held up the key.

"Well…this will keep him busy for a moment!"

* * *

><p>When the concert was announced worldwide, Crypton quickly discovered that they needed to double the number of seats. It was possible, and so many people wanted to go there…so why not?<p>

The ads were mysterious and made people curious, making them want to go there even more. It showed Miku and Luka, side by side and smirking, and behind them stood a bunch of blacked-out figures, each surrounded by their color. The concert, as well as the album, was called 'Blacked Out'. All singers had agreed on the name, simply because it was awesome and inspiring.

The school was wild about the concert. Some wondered who the mystery characters were, others making the wildest suggestions. Those who knew, however, liked to listen to their fairytales and laughed to some of those preposterous ideas. Some people had the craziest imagination…

Teto walked up to Luka and Miku, who were waiting for the others.

"Hey!" she greeted. "How are things going?"

"Great" sighed Miku. Everyone was tired now; they had been working so hard. Teto hummed a small tune.

"Soooo…can you tell me anything about the concert?" she asked. Luka grinned.

"Yes. It will be awesome, something completely new, and you'll never believe your eyes once you see who's singing" Teto's face fell.

"Come on! It's already ben a week! I want to know now, before I actually go to the concert!" Miku rolled her eyes slightly.

Teto was…Teto. She was known to have the weirdest logic, but when she actually pulled her mind straight, could be really smart.

"Well, won't that spoil the fun?" she asked. Teto shook her head.

"I want to have 'the fun' now!" Luka chuckled.

"Well, it will be fun-er at the concert"

Right then the group came running.

"Ah, there you all are!" exclaimed Luka. "Where have you been? We need to get…there…as soon as possible!" Meiko smirked.

"We'll only leave once you tell us what you're going to do" the duo sighed in exasperation.

"Not again…" this wasn't the first time the two divas had tried having their secrets sold out.

"Very well…we'll leave on our own"

"Go where?" asked Teto, who was still there. Meiko lit up.

"You know-"

"Fine, but we got to go first!" interrupted Miku. If Teto came to know details about the concert, then it would be bad. The whole world will know.

The group cheered while the two divas simply groaned.

They still weren't going to tell.

They took the train towards the construction site. It was a little way further than their stops, but it didn't take too long to get there.

"Well…one more week, then?" asked Meiko upon arrival.

The whole place was filled with construction workers. Things were moving, hauled by cranes, and seats were being installed. People were yelling orders around; and others were testing the stability of the stage.

"Yep, in one week, this place will be filled with fans, roaring for us and curious about you" replied Luka. Miku grinned.

"Everybody in school is going to be there. I wonder what their reactions are going to be when you all step on stage" Gumi sighed.

"But won't they be a bit jealous?"

"Maybe" without another word, they headed backstage.

Although the place seemed under construction from afar, their rooms and the stage itself was completely finished. Only speakers, lights, seats and other things needed to be installed around it.

This was going to be their best concert yet. It would be huge, and it would hold a little less than one thousand people.

They turned the corner, and froze. Haku let out a pathetic peep before collapsing.

News reporters were walking around the halls, interrogating crewmen.

"Everybody, get the hell outta here!" hissed Luka, pushing their friends away. Luckily they disappeared before the media spotted them.

"And there stands the famous duo, Luka and Miku!" exclaimed the lady with the microphone. Miku groaned. This was one of those things you can't possibly turn down; this was live. Turning them down would make you look like a total jerk. She took Luka's hand, indicating that they should go through this, and put on a smile.

"Hello, I am from the Vocalive, Crypton's very own news channel! Tell us, what are you doing here?" she asked, before pointing the microphone in their direction.

"Well, we prefer to investigate the stage and practice before the performance" answered Miku. The woman nodded.

"People from the whole world are coming, and almost all are extremely curious about the 'new faces'. Do you know them?" she asked in her perky voice.

"We do. In fact, we're great friends" answered the other singer. The woman nodded once more.

"But rumors say that you do not know Crypton's famous blonde diva, Lily. Is that true?" Miku wanted to sigh and leave.

"That is true. We just never got the chance to meet her" she answered. The woman nodded.

"Could you explain to us how this concert is going to happen?" she asked. Luka shook her head.

"No, we don't want to spoil anything"

Miku spotted the group out of the corner of her eye, with questioning looks. Meiko was mouthing something Miku could exactly understand. When Miku didn't react, Meiko sighed, and walked over to a construction guy, and prodded his shoulder.

Miku didn't listen to the newswoman as she watched with curiosity what Meiko was doing. Luka just answered for her.

Miku nearly jumped when Meiko punched the man straight in the face.

What in the hell was she doing?

When Meiko pulled the helmet off the unconscious man's head, Miku seemed to understand a moment. Meiko then started stripping the dude from his vest, keeping the helmet low over her eyes. She grinned. When Meiko wanted something, she would get them.

"Well, how far is construction, do you think?" asked the lady in Miku's direction. She then realized that she hadn't been looking for a moment. Luka nudged her with her elbow. Miku jolted awake.

"Ah…well..." she paused for a moment, before lighting up. "Why don't you ask him?" she asked, pointing at Meiko, who was walking towards them, the helmet covering her eyes. She now also wore the jacket and vest, so she looked like a slender guy.

"So, sir, how is the work going?" the woman asked Meiko as she entered the conversation bubble. She stuttered a moment, glaring at the two girls from under her helmet, startling Luka a bit, but answered with a deeper voice.

"Uh…very well. Another…let's say, four days, and everything should look great!" she answered, sounding like she was choking on a doughnut. The woman smiled, while the two stars were stifling laughter under Meiko's heavy glare.

"Well then, thank you for your time!" said the woman before leaving.

"Uh…your welcome" answered Meiko with her strange voice. With that, camera and woman left, leaving the three girls behind.

Meiko turned toward them.

"Ok, what was that?" she asked, slightly frustrated. "You just pushed us outta the way! Do you want the camera for yourselves?" she asked. Luka wiped away her tears of laughter.

"No, it's not like that…we just want you all to stay secret until the concert. Besides, Haku had fainted. She wouldn't have looked good on camera" Meiko grinned.

"Ah, ok. So that explains it" she chuckled. "Darn, that means I K.O-ed a dude for practically nothing?" she rubbed her fist. "Darn, he should have shaved this morning. His stubble scratched my hand" Miku grinned.

"But it was fun to see" Meiko laughed.

"Hah, wasn't it? He just turned to me like 'can I help you, little girl?', and I NAILED him!" Luka pouted.

"I wanted to see that…" Kaito walked up behind Meiko.

"Well, I filmed it with me cell phone!" the others followed; Gumi rubbed her head, where she had landed.

"Sorry, Gumi" apologized Luka. She grinned.

"Ah, it's nothing. I get used to this" Miku clapped her hands together.

"So…shall we rehearse?"

* * *

><p>"Come on, Luka! I want to see your costume!" whined Miku.<p>

For the concert, everybody was wearing their own costume. Miku was wearing hers; silver sleeveless top, black and blue skirt, tall black boot and separate black sleeves.

The others where all putting theirs on, but didn't show it to anybody yet. So everybody was discovering everybody's outfit today.

Kaito stepped out of the changing room with a grin.

"Yeah, this one I like" he said, adjusting his ever-present scarf. Miku looked at him.

He was wearing a long white mantle that opened a little above his bellybutton, lined with dark blue stripes. His long pants were brown, and he wore regular sneakers.

"Wow, that suits you!" she exclaimed. Really, it fit him perfectly.

"Really? I like it, too!" he said, patting down the wings of his mantle. Meiko then stepped out from her changing room.

She wore small red top, red gloves that went up to her elbows covered in lights and a red and black skirt. Even if the model was a little risked, it fit her too. Kaito whistled.

"Well, don't you look fancy?" he asked with a small smirk. She grinned.

"You look fancier, with your vest!"

"It's a long mantle"

"It's the same"

"No it isn't" Miku giggled.

"Well, both suit you perfectly!"

"Well, how do I look?" asked Gumi from behind Miku. The star turned around and smiled.

She was wearing a short orange and yellow dress with a green belt. Red goggles covered her head.

"Wow, that is you!" she exclaimed. Gumi nodded.

"I wanted this because it looks like a carrot! I love carrots!" she nearly yelled happily. Miku giggled.

The twins emerged from behind her, both from their own locker.

"Wow, we look alike!" they said. Both were wearing white shirts and black pants, Rin with a bow on her head and around her neck, while Len wore a tie. His shorts were larger and longer than hers', and both wore detached sleeves and pants.

"Real twins you are!" exclaimed Kaito. Then the twins started fighting about who stole the design from who.

Right then, Haku and Neru stepped out of their rooms.

Neru's design was very close to Miku's except her tie was shorter, and the shirt finished with two points. All blue was yellow. Haku the same, only her shirt was much, much shorter, and her tie looser. And she didn't wear a skirt, but long black pants. And all otherwise blue was dark purple.

"You two look great!" yelled the twins. Neru grinned.

"We were missing out on inspiration while designing, so we took what we knew and tweaked it a little" Haku looked at Miku. "You don't mind?"

"Not the slightest!"

"And how do I look?" came a deep voice. Everybody turned around to look at the remaining boy.

A samurai suit, white, blue and purple.

He looked like a clown, but a very, very cool clown.

"How did you possible design that?" asked Meiko in wonder. He posed, the heavy fabric following his movements with ease.

"With time" he observed the others. "But you all look great!" he said. "Wait...where's Luka?" he asked. Miku groaned.

"She's taking forever!"

"Not anymore!" she replied, opening the door they were all standing around. Miku nearly had a nosebleed, and Gakupo gasped.

That costume had 'Luka' written all over it, it was hers'.

Mostly black, with the perfect touches of gold, the long skirt flowed to almost the ground, covering her high-heeled, golden shoes. The shirt had the same colors, and a large golden necklace hung from her neck. The sleeves were short, and she had one detached gold and brown sleeve. Brown and gold belts hung around her waist, and an identically colored headset covered her ears. But what caused the minor chaos was the fact that everything fit her just, barely right, and the top was just a little short. But her skirt was cut all the way up to her waist.

Miku smirked.

"I like that skirt" Luka rolled her eyes.

"I like your outfit too, Miku" everybody laughed.

"But in all seriousness…wow, Luka" gasped Gakupo.

"Yeah…you're the only one here who's not wearing something that looks either like a school uniform or a clown" said Meiko. Luka nodded.

"Yeah…I wanted something-" she looked at Miku, who was looking her up and down. "Different" Kaito laughed.

"Miku, we know that you love Luka, but we also know you two have spent some quality time together in a bed, so no need to remind us" both girls reddened immediately, while Miku immediately stopped staring at her girlfriend.

"So, we all look great, eh?" asked Meiko. Everybody cheered. Luka, still red, cleared her throat.

"Ok, so everybody ready for the concert tomorrow evening?" more cheers. "I thought so"

* * *

><p>"Come on, everybody! Hurry up and we'll have time to practice once more before everybody gets here!" yelled Miku as she ran into the changing rooms. Everybody followed after her, sprinting as fast as they could.<p>

Now, they were starting to feel anxious about the whole ordeal. This was their first concert, their first public apparition.

They unlocked the doors that were covered in the signs with them blacked out and holding cool stances. Immediately they ran inside, trying to get to be able to practice as quickly as possible.

"Wow, wow, wow! Cool down there, 'mates!" came a voice, a smirk audible. They all turned towards the source of the call, and most turned bright red.

A tall blonde was standing in the hall. Her eyes were crystal blue, and her entire form was very elegant. But what she wearing threw everybody off.

She was wearing…pretty much only belts and strings. Two large belts covered her chest area, while the belts held them in place. She wore a yellow skirt with a CD hanging from it, the skirt itself pretty low.

"Ha, like my concert outfit?" she asked cheekily. She approached them, and stuck out a hand. "The name's Lily, nice to finally meet you two!" she said with a grin.

Everybody unfroze on-the-spot.

"U-um…" Lily grinned even wider.

"You're Miku, of course" she turned towards Luka "and you're the gorgeous Luka" Luka turned a little red at the compliment, but otherwise remained unfazed. Lily turned towards the group.

"And…you are?" Kaito stepped forward, still quite red.

"I am Kaito, this here is Meiko, Rin, Len, Gakupo, Gumi, Neru and Haku" he presented. Lily laughed.

"I see! You are all the famous 'New Faces'! Darn, I'm curious to know you all!" she turned towards the two divas. "Seriously, you don't know how badly I've wanted to know you two. Ever since the forest incident…darn. I saw you get out of that forest, you were pretty roughed up! What in the world did you go through for your love?" she asked. Both divas immediately tensed.

"W-What?" Lily laughed.

"I could see it from a mile away! The way you were carrying her, the way you two wouldn't part…you are probably the most romantic couple I've ever seen!" Luka grinned.

"Why thank you!" she took a dangerous step forward, nearly making Lily fall backwards. "Tell anybody and I'll kick your ass, famous singer or not" Lily, instead of cowering in fear in front of the two hell-holes that were called Luka's eyes, just grinned.

"I see! Very well, I won't tell a soul!" Luka smiled as well.

"Good!"

For the next hour, everybody got to know Lily, the famous blonde.

She was carefree, wild and entertaining. It was practically a law to laugh at least every five minutes when with her.

Everybody quickly got used to her rather showy outfit, and she was astonished at everybody else's suits. She really liked Luka's, too, and made a few rather naughty jokes when she caught Miku staring again.

When they started practicing, everybody wondered why Lily wasn't as popular. She had a great voice, and deserved more fans. And her songs were great as well. It was a real pity she was only singing one song that evening.

They did the whole thing as if it were real; lights were flying in every direction, music was louder than ever, and everybody did their very best.

When the first people were entering the building, they took a quick break.

"So… you know anybody coming here?" asked Lily after a big gulp of water. Everybody grinned.

"Our classmates and other kids from our school are here. Our parents as well" Lily smirked.

"Lucky. You are all lucky. My parents disowned me simply because I like girls as much as boys" she took another gulp of water.

Miku's face fell when she heard that, and did Luka's. They now realized how lucky they were; Lily now had pretty much nobody to turn to…and they were allowed to keep everything.

"We can be your friends if you want!" proposed Miku. Lily grinned.

"Hey, that's something nice to hear. Hell, even my manager hates me for that" she looked at the 'New Faces'. "You don't seem to have a problem with them, eh?" everybody shook their heads.

"What they are doesn't change who they are" answered Rin. Lily shook her head.

"You lucky bastards" she mumbled. Then a tall man with orange hair entered the room.

"Ok, everybody, concert starts in thirty minutes!" he called. He looked at Lily, made a disgusted face, and left. Luka grumbled.

"Damn homophobes…" Miku swatted her head.

"Luka, don't curse. And even if he's mean, he may be a nice guy!" Lily nodded.

"She's right. He's nice…just not with me" Luka took a gulp of water and left to her room. Miku looked up from her bottle.

"Luka, leave the tuna where it is, and leave the man alone!" Luka groaned.

"Come on!"

"No!" she turned to Lily. "If you really want a more supportive manager, then speak to him. Lily smiled.

"Hah, I guess. Never did that before. But…yeah, memories kinda make me a chicken at those moments" Miku grinned.

"We can help! I fired my manager, thanks to Luka!" Luka grinned.

"You should have seen him flee…" she started dreaming. Lily laughed.

"I thought he left! What did he do?" the whole group turned towards the two divas.

"Yeah, what did he do?" asked Haku. Len winced, he knew all too well.

"You never told us" Miku sighed.

"Well…let's just say he had a crazy idea that would never work and that involved rape" everybody froze.

"What?" Miku smiled.

"Yeah, but Luka appeared before he did anything bad"

"And I scared him fishless" the room relaxed.

"Wow…well, I'll talk to my manager after the concert!" spoke Lily in a light tone. "And then it'll be my turn to scare him fishless!"

The room laughed after this freezing revelation.

* * *

><p>Teto squirmed to get to her seat. Well, not that she'll use it, anyway.<p>

Hah, she got a front row, lucky her.

She struggled with her bread and glow sticks and pushed past the people. She had a separate glow stick for ever singer; intense yellow for Lily, teal for Miku, pink for Luka and red, blue, silver, week yellow, purple, two different shades of yellow, and orange, each for the 'New Faces'.

She was genuinely curious about those newcomers. Who were they? What did they sound like?

Teto could hear form the crowds that everybody was thinking the same.

The redhead sat in her seat, waiting for the concert to start.

After what seemed an eternity, the lights dimmed, and everybody grew dead silent.

"Hello, people!" came a voice over the loud speaker the crowd cheered. "Welcome to the biggest concert ever held by Crypton! CD will be available for purchase in a week, and the album right after you leave this building!" more cheers, and Teto was practically jumping in her seat. It was starting!

"Let's give a warm hand for Lily!" lights turned on, and music played.

Teto was nearly exploding her head off when Lily appeared on stage, singing her lyrics. She was a huge fan of hers'.

Everybody was chanting wildly as she sang her tragic love song.

After what seemed an eternity, lights went from yellow and orange to blue and green. Miku was next!

Teto was screaming wildly as 'Innocence' came on. Darn, she loved that song so much!

When Miku appeared on stage, the place grew deadly silent and the music became deafening. Miku…was almost magical. She made the whole place shut in complete awe and respect.

Miku danced to her song, hitting the notes perfectly, creating some sort of aura that created a tingling feeling at the bottom of everyone's stomachs. It was…incredible.

Everybody felt like they had died when the music halted.

When the stage blacked up again, everybody wondered 'What's next?'

Luka's voice pierced the silence, and nobody dared to peep a sound. The same magic, the same influence, the same feeling invaded to room. Everybody danced and cheered silently as Luka appeared on the stage, wearing a stunning uniform. The school dared a few cheers, and Teto wanted to squeal and die in happiness. And this was only the third song!

The new impression of going through torture emerged when the music ended.

Soft music played, and 'Love is War' followed. Teto nearly yelled if it weren't for the invisible hand that was making her freeze.

Again, it ended before it started, and 'Just be Friends' followed.

Slowly everybody was turning to statues. This concert was at the same time heaven and hell. You couldn't move, not even make a sound. But the whole time…your ears were experiencing the best kind of bliss ever.

The pink lights suddenly merged with blue, and a huge screen popped up behind the stage. Music started playing, and everybody yelled. 'World's End Dancehall'! But once again…nobody could make a sound.

Teto felt mesmerized. This music was making her ears want to die and be born again all over.

Luka and Miku appeared on the stage, smiling as wide as ever, as the video played behind them on the screen.

The video was…curious. The lyrics were interesting. Everything was odd and yet strangely right. Everything suddenly seemed to be composed out of one color, just like in the video. Shapes were turning, things were falling. And finally, they fell off a building, after admiring the scenery.

It was strangely tragic.

They disappeared, leaving the room suddenly feel empty.

Teto's ears perked up when she heard something familiar. Some screeching and beeping…where had she heard that before?

Music class. This was the song Luka and Miku had written! 'Distorted Princess', that's it!

The song was long and resembled greatly to when it was shown in class. And yet….now it was better, and made everybody want to weep.

Suddenly the lights went from blue and pink to a grey-ish yellow. Teto quickly picked up the appropriate glow stick, cracked it, and waited for the song to start. She felt anxiousness build up inside her; one of the new singers was coming on now!

The screen lit up to show the outline of one of the newcomers, surrounded but the same yellow. It was a girl, and she had long hair tied in a ponytail at the side of her head…or something like that. It was hard to tell from the stance she was holding. Holding something resembling a cell phone in her hand, other hand on her hip, only half turned towards the camera…

The music started, and Teto recognized it immediately. 'Meltdown'! Wait…Miku already sang that! So…were the new ones going to re-sig Miku's songs?

Teto hoped not.

The red head nearly let the glow stick fall to the ground, and heard numerous gasps run over the crowd. That was Neru!

Once she started singing, Teto felt like collapsing and burying herself to shield herself from the immense beauty she had suffering. She was….excellent! Whoever knew she could sing this? Whoever knew she could sing?

Teto's mind was filled with questions and gorgeous singing. Every note was perfectly hit, everything was in rhythm…and she emitted the same magic the others did! Only…it was sadder and more bitter, making everybody feel the song to the fullest.

Teto wanted to weep when the song ended, but turned towards the future. Who was next?

The screen lit up again, showing another character outline surrounded in a silver aura. She, again a she, was standing back, holding something resembling a bottle in her left hand. She had long hair and a huge chest. It was vaguely familiar.

More familiar notes rang in her ears. Again from Music class! And this was…

Haku?

Teto was now more puzzled than ever. What…?

But once the music started, everything seemed to slow down. Her song was strong, strange, and new. And the same magic she emitted was thicker than Neru's. It made you feel the passion in the lyrics…it was indescribable.

Teto couldn't even feel when the music stopped. Was this heaven or hell?

The screen lit up again, showing a boy this time in a long mantle and a large something resembling a scarf around his neck. His aura was blue.

A chorus rang through the huge room, silencing everybody with a deep voice with perfect pitch.

Kaito.

Teto couldn't even think anymore, questions have flown out of her head. All she could experience was the pure bliss and torture from these perfect singers, and the heavy magic they held over her.

But this time, there was a video. It played behind the boy at certain moments, stopping every now and then. But the effect remained. It was a murderous magic, making everybody want to kill the person next to them.

It ended in a chorus once more, and the screen showed another silhouette, this time surrounded by red.

Another she, with a short skirt and short hair.

Meiko flew on stage, and she was perfect as well. Her magic was twisted and loving, yet despairing.

Teto didn't know what to feel anymore. She was going mad in pleasure and bliss simply by listening to the best music ever. And the video only accentuated the excellence.

It ended much too early for the world's liking, and a new silhouette graced the screen. Purple, resembling a girl but was clearly a boy, or rather a young man.

Gakupo, with 'Gambler'. And the video was black and white, only making a mark in the memory along with the guitar and deep voice.

Then the twins came up, first Rin then Len, each with their own song, their own video, and their own magic.

This was too much to handle. It was too good to be humane.

Gumi, and her composition 'Bad Apple', followed, and Teto was going mad. The video…the music…the voice…

They were all perfect.

When the music stopped, Teto wanted to sleep in this bliss and hell forever. Her mind was going insane. They were all so perfect at this, even when they each had their own flaws. From the beginning, the feeling of perfection had only piled up higher and higher until driving the public mad with emotions. Everything was mixed and Teto couldn't keep her mind straight. She had been infested with all of these feelings…

"How did you like that?" asked the voice over the speaker.

The crowd cheered, louder than ever, and Teto suddenly knew what she wanted.

More. More awesomeness, more perfection that was what she wanted right now. She screamed at the top of her lungs, along with everybody there.

"Alright! Well, here is the big finale, 'Magnet'!" Teto turned towards the stage, feeling hungry and empty.

More, more!

Piano and crashing waves filled her ears. The screen lit up, showing a black-and-white picture on the school. But with the music, the picture turned into a video, and it zoomed into the building.

Then Miku began singing, in perfect harmony and grace. The lyrics filled Teto's mind, and the video continued.

It showed Luka, sneering with evil eyes. Then it went to Miku, with dark hair in the grey video. Miku was on the ground, crying, while Luka stood triumphantly above her.

As they continued singing, the décor changed in the video. Both were running in the streets, Miku looking like she was wet, Luka grinning evilly.

Luka's voice joined Miku's, showing Miku, with a brighter hair, crying in Luka's arms.

And the refrain kicked in.

The screen turned off, and the spotlight turned to the two divas that had just appeared on the stage. Neither was wearing their previous uniforms; both were wearing black dresses with a big white ribbon around their waists.

Their dancing mesmerized Teto almost as much as the music and the lyrics, everything filling her mind. Everything was so…smooth and flawless. And…their movements were so in synch, so perfect in harmony, they seemed like goddesses.

But their magic they were emitting…it was filled with the purest diamond, the rawest love.

Once the refrain ended, Luka sang her solo. It showed her winning the contest, and Len glaring at her from the distance as she chatted awkwardly with Miku. Then it showed her turned against her friends, protecting Miku from their foul words. Everything was still I black-and-white, but for some reason no other video seemed more filled with colors.

When Miku started singing with Luka, the décor was destroyed, and it showed Miku, bleeding from her arm, standing in front of a bear, Luka behind her, seeming helpless. It crashed again, and both were trudging through the forest, bleeding and starving.

The video collapsed once more, and Miku was looking over Luka in the bed. And right when they finished the verse, it showed Luka getting up from her bed, and then….just almost kissing Miku. In color. The video flashed with colors, and one could practically feel the emotions as once again the screen turned off and the two singers danced on the stage.

Teto barely realized she was crying. This was so…perfect. So many emotions filled this, she was going to burst.

The music quieted down a little, and the video re-started, once again in color. It showed Miku, bare shoulders up, staring out the window towards the rising sun. her voice filled to room once more, and in the film, as she spoke, Luka entered the 'camera's' view and hugged Miku from behind, her shoulders also bare, as were her arms. Both shed a tear, and the refrain started for what seemed the last time.

Now their steps were closer, and their hands were always linked. They were smiling and crying at the same time, the lyrics flowing out of their mouths. This was their song; they owned it and nobody could say otherwise.

The duo seemed untouchable. If anybody dared reach out an arm they would crash, explode in a million pieces, simple because the hand outstretched wasn't pure enough to touch them.

They were goddesses.

The refrain re-played, and their steps came even closer. Teto was no practically weeping from the sheer beauty, and a quick, barely possible glance to her sides showed that she wasn't the only one.

Yes…their music had reached them all; their feeling had touched them all.

When the final, most hated note rang over the crowds, the two locked their lips in a soft, gentle kiss.

The stage went black. Teto did the first thing that came to mind.

She clapped. Quickly, the crowd followed, and cheers started ringing through the room.

This was the best concert ever.

It was their concert.

* * *

><p>Luka and Miku walked backstage, smiling widely.<p>

"We did well, huh?" asked the taller diva. Miku nodded.

"They were all so silent..." They opened to door to the waiting room.

The waiting room was where the others could wait while one of them sang. A big screen TV stood against the wall, and speakers hung in the corners. The TV displayed what the screen displayed, and the speakers gave them the direct audio from the stage. Like that they could watch without being outside.

And everybody there was sobbing.

"That…was so perfect!" stammered Gakupo. He turned towards them. "I'm so sorry for being so mean! Your love is…" he crumbled and wept again. The two divas were wide-eyed as they stared at the result of their song.

"But…you've already heard it before!" exclaimed Miku, incredulous. Meiko looked at her, wiping away her own tears.

"But…not so well. I swear, that was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard…" she blew her nose. The twins were leaning against the other's shoulders, and Gumi had put on her goggles to hide her own tears. Kaito was holding a skull, kneeling on the floor dramatically, weeping as well.

"What have we done?" mumbled Luka.

"That most beautiful thing ever!" replied Haku, red eyes drowning in tears.

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a little bit?" asked Miku. Everybody shook their head and blew their noses. Luka sighed.

"Well…putting that aside, how did it all go?" before they stepped on stage, everybody was pretty nervous. Especially Neru, who was the first to go there.

Luka and Miku have been able to listen to most of their songs, but had to get changed after a while for their duet.

But, they thought they had done an impressive job. Most of the crowd was stunned by the moment they got on for their finale.

They wondered what their schoolmates would say.

"Well, we deserve a party, don't we?" asked Meiko. "Come on, it'll be on me!" the room cheered.

* * *

><p>It was late, very late. Around one in the morning, in fact.<p>

A dark shadow watched as the group headed home. They just got out of the karaoke, and a few girls even seemed a little drunk, especially the silver and brown-haired girls, who were leaning against their friends for balance. But the most visible of the group were certainly the pink and bright teal-haired girls who were leading the mini-carnival, cheering and walking in turns and twists.

He smirked.

Those girls were going to find the biggest surprise of theirs lives when they get home…

A life-ending one.

The boy laughed. Nah, certainly not that bad! He held his mouth, and watched the group disappear.

It may not be that bad yet…

But it will finish them eventually.


	12. UEM Unidentified Emotional Menace

Miku woke up slowly, feeling extremely comfortable. Ah, this was a way to wake up; nice and calmly, no alarm blaring in your ears and nobody violently opening the curtains, making light shine in your face.

She sighed and rolled on her side, feeling something warm. She grinned, and cuddled next to the warm being, nuzzling her neck in a crook. She heard a muffled giggle.

"Stop, Miku…that tickles" mumbled Luka. Miku grinned again and moved her forehead in Luka's neck. The taller girl giggled again. "Stop…"

"I don't wanna…you're so warm" mumbled Miku, tickling her lips against her lover's skin. Luka rolled over slowly and Miku pouted.

"You could have just said that" she whispered before wrapping her two lean arms around Miku's form. The latter hummed, pressing herself against her. She hummed.

A knock on the door made the two jump out of their skins.

"Girls, I know you're _both _in there. So please get dressed, because I know you aren't, and come downstairs for breakfast" without waiting for a reply, the woman left the place in front of the door.

"Darn…" groaned Miku. Luka chuckled.

"Well…that happens"

Both quietly got dressed and went downstairs, slightly uncomfortable.

Ever since their parents knew they were going out, they kept making naughty remarks, and some embarrassing jokes. Sure, at least they were cool about it, but now it was getting annoying. And the worst part was that they knew it was getting annoying.

"Well, good morning" called the father from behind his paper. "Did you know that the weather forecasts cold days? Better have something warm-"

"We get it, Dad" groaned Luka, opening the fridge. The man chuckled.

"What? It's perfectly natural to feel-"

"I said we get it" she nearly snapped. Miku yawned. Darn…they should have slept earlier. Not that she regretted anything.

"Well…somebody's in a bad mood" mumbled the man with a smirk.

"I'm starting to wonder if you're a pervert to be taking joy in teasing two girls about this particular subject" stated Luka, closing the fridge, milk in her hand. The man looked at her with wide eyes.

"Me? A pervert?" Miku grinned.

"There are no other men here" she reasoned.

"Very well, suit yourself" replied Luka's father before returning to his paper. The two girls took their breakfast silently, just relishing in being side-by-side.

"It seems that your concert was a huge success last evening" the two girls hummed in response. "The 'New Faces' were better than anticipated, and your album had just broken all records including the speed of the sales, the numbers, and the requests. And the CD of the concert itself is now up for pre-order. And already 10'000'000 requests have been made" Luka looked up.

"Wait…there aren't as many humans on the planet" he man grinned.

"Companies have ordered some to be delivered in countries who can't reach us, and many others are gifts. Only one half of all that is said for personal use" Miku whistled.

"Our best yet" he looked over the paper.

"If this is your first concert…I wonder how the tenth one will be" Luka grinned.

"Indeed"

Miku noticed that she suddenly seemed a little distracted. She could read her like an open book, and now she seemed almost as if in a rush.

"Sorry…I got to go do something" declared Luka, before putting the utensils in the sink and going to their room. Miku shrugged and continued her breakfast.

Quickly she felt the man's gaze on her.

"Can I help you?" he grinned.

"Well, I remembered that you have your own little home, don't you?" Miku nodded slowly. She had completely forgotten about her own home. She had lived here for quite a while…

She wondered if her house was even standing.

"So, I thought that maybe you both could move there! That would gain you two some privacy and us some sleep, seeing the noise-" Miku groaned.

"Enough with the jokes please" he laughed.

"No, it's too fun. And it's better because I'm actually serious"

But Miku didn't listen, she was considering the idea. And she had to admit it wasn't a bad one. Actually…it was pretty good! The media didn't even know where it was, so they could have 100% tranquility there.

She rose form her seat and nearly crashed her dishes in the sink before running towards Luka's - or should she now say their - room.

She opened the door with a bang, and saw Luka jump practically three feet in the air.

"Hey, Luka!" Miku cheered. Luka quickly quit the page, not letting Miku see it. The smaller girl quickly forgot that and turned towards Luka, who suddenly seemed as if she were a three-year-old who was caught with the hand in the cookie jar.

"Luka…"

"Y-yes?"

"Were you being naughty?" asked Miku with a grin, stepping forward. "Were you doing things you shouldn't?" Luka smiled, taking a step back from the screen.

"Of course not!" Miku grinned.

"Good...or I would have had to punish you…" Luka rolled her eyes.

"Very well, try!" Miku chuckled.

"Nah! Any case, I just got the best idea from you dad!" the taller girl raised an eyebrow, piqued with interest. Miku smirked. "How about you come live with me, in my apartment?" Luka's face split in a smile.

"Hey, why not!" Miku smirked.

"Besides, the school year ends in already a week…why not celebrate?" Luka imitated her expression.

"I don't see a reason not to…" Miku stood on her toes and stole a long kiss, to which Luka immediately responded, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl's waist.

"Girls, get dressed" ordered the older woman as she passed the room. Miku groaned.

The woman was extremely good at choosing the _perfect _moments and phrases to interrupt them. At first it was slightly entertaining, but now…

It was classified as purely annoying.

* * *

><p>Miku groaned, looking out of the corner of the window.<p>

The media, cameras, everything was everywhere. Not possible to even open the chimney without them falling into the house. And this time the chainsaw didn't work.

Luka had already proposed going out there with her tuna, but everybody immediately refused. Who would want to see a raging Luka with a fish? Even if it might boost her popularity (which was big enough), it would be slightly dangerous.

Miku didn't know Luka had such a fetish with tuna. Ever since the got home from the hospital, she proposed to use it whenever she could, or not. Sometimes she would just take the dead swimming animal for no reason, just for fun.

Apparently she had had the thing for some time already, and took it to school every now and then. Only she never needed to use it. Miku trembled when she learned that, thinking of all the things she could have done with it to make her life miserable, which was her goal back then. But Luka laughed and said that she just had a thing for large tuna, in almost every kind of way.

Back to the media.

Miku was now extremely annoyed. They couldn't do anything, anymore. Meiko and the twins have already called, saying that the media have somehow gotten their addresses, and that they had camped on their front lawn. Luka wanted to suggest using a fish, but after a small argument with Miku, she grumbled that they should build a fence.

That was what Luka's family was planning this summer; a big fence surrounding the whole house, with 42-digit code and fingerprint recognition.

But now, they were nailed here. They couldn't leave, or even open a window. Going to the garage, to get the car, to go shopping was now impossible.

She sighed. Miku had wanted to go on a walk or something simple like that, but now…

"They are like flies over a dead body"

"Or fish" Luka laughed.

"Right-o…"

"They're still annoying" Miku let the curtain fall over the small spot she was looking out of, and turned towards her secret love.

"Well…what can we do?"

"Wait it out?" Miku laughed.

"Then, my dear, you'll wait a very, very long time" Luka huffed a little.

"So, what do we do?" Miku sighed.

"Yeah…we're such workaholics now, we can't even think fun anymore…"

"Well, excluding some type of fun, that is" she replied with a smirk. Miku rolled her eyes.

"Luka, the world doesn't turn around that"

"I know, I know…" she replied with a chuckle.

"So…"

"What do we do?"

* * *

><p>Miku sighed, and put down the magazine.<p>

They were everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. In the papers, the magazines, the radio, even. The concert was a great success, but that was only the main discussion of the radio and papers.

The magazines, crazy as they were, were talking about their duet and finale.

Ok…they got a bit carried away, in the end. The two were just supposed to look at the other lovingly, but Miku couldn't resist…even with the three million people watching. And apparently, Luka couldn't either.

But that aside, the magazines where wild about them. There was even a fourteen-page special about them, resuming absolutely everything, looking at everything from every angle, and every sort of possibility.

And all of those stories were just as exaggerated as Meiko's strange insults. Really…

But, Miku had to hand to them; they weren't completely false, either. But still…

Miku now understood the reason of the press at their doors.

She sighed, and put the magazine on the table, next to the paper.

One day they would have to explain it all, from the beginning to the end. She couldn't, though. The forest still chilled her to the bone, and her feet tingled at the mere memory. And not a good tingle.

She wondered when exactly they would let their masks fall completely. In any case, not before a few months. She preferred to then think about the present.

They were stuck at home, the parents, too. Every single possible and crazy exit has been covered by cameras. Miku started wondering if installing the fence would be an easy task.

And also…they were going to move to Miku's apartment, the end of the next, and last, school week. Miku had spent so much time here that she practically had her own closet now. She forgot from where those clothes had come from, but now she was practically moving as much as Luka was.

But…how, with all this press?

Miku sighed. She was over-thinking this. She got that from the song analyzing, maybe. Always checking, and re-checking, and re-doing…her mind has practically been evolved to analyze in depth.

She got up and walked to Luka's room, where said girl was already planning the move.

Miku smirked. How could one remark from a perverted dad change so much in less than a day? Already everything was planned.

Well, almost. Just the getting out of the house part was hard to figure out.

"Hey, Luka" once again, the pink-haired girl was behind the screen. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing" she answered, quitting the site. "What is it?" the seated girl asked. Miku shrugged.

"I can't stop thinking" Luka stuck out her arms, and Miku sat in her lap, letting the taller girl wrap her arms around her.

"What about?"

"Everything"

"That's a lot" Miku rolled her eyes.

"You're not helping" Luka chuckled.

"So, what in more precise details?"

"The move, the end of the school year, Meiko and the others, the stupid magazines and whatever they say, that stupid media camping outside-"

"Miku, that is a lot to think about" interrupted Luka. Miku sighed, melting in Luka's embrace.

"I know…"

"So…" Luka inhaled deeply "The end of the school year. We'll still see Meiko and the others, most likely everywhere. We won't have homework, no teachers, and no duties. So it's that much less to think about"

"But this year was special…" Miku sighed. This answer made Luka grin.

"Ah, now I see" She rested her cheek on Miku's head, gently pulling her fingers through her long hair. "Well, next year can be special, too. As you probably noted, you never know what can happen" Miku grinned.

"Yeah, my biggest fear turned into the most important thing in my life"

After a moment of peaceful silence, Luka continued the list.

"Meiko and the others are fine, you know that. Hell, they seem better. Ever since you came their lives have turned into the best kind of ride ever. We'll see them again, either in the studio because I'm sure they are still hired, or at amusement park and theaters…" she removed her head from Miku's and leaned closer to Miku's ear "Maybe even double dates?" she proposed. Miku couldn't help a grin.

"Luka, don't stray from the subject" though she inwardly admitted that the idea did seems strangely fun. Mostly because it wouldn't look like anything from a bystander's point of view.

"Well then. So…the stupid magazines. They're stupid, nothing to worry about. Though, some things they say are close to the truth, you have to admit" Miku groaned.

"But what if the world gets it before we get to tell them?" Luka sighed.

"Then the world gets it and we don't tell it. We would just have to tell it early enough, or mask the truth with a diversion…" Miku pouted.

"But I don't want to hide! We have, no, we _are_ nothing to be ashamed of!" Luka sighed.

"I know…but the world today is…somewhat cold" Miku sighed.

"What could we do about that?" she asked. Luka shrugged.

"I don't really know" she admitted sadly. "I actually really don't know"

The room fell in another silence. Luka continued combing Miku's hair as they silently comforted the other.

There really was little they could openly do. This world was very restricted, very tight. Not many people, for many different reasons, are able to maneuver easily through life on this planet. Too many people kept a too bad of an eye on too many things.

And there was little they could do about it. Very little.

It saddened them. They really wanted to be able to express their feelings freely, without constantly looking out for onlookers or distracted gazes. They didn't want to have to suffer half the globe's advice. Sometimes, during their little silent moments, they would just wish they were more normal girls, without having their names printed on the face of every newspaper in every country.

Sometimes, they wished that not so many people looked at them. They all had their opinion, their desires, and their wishes. And not all of them would love to see them together.

On the contrary. Maybe they could trample them to death once they found out.

No matter how much both said that they didn't care what the world thought of them, they knew that the world could influence them, no matter what they think. If everybody indeed hated them for their most beautiful possession, then they could get fired, chased, shun, banished from the globe itself.

Simply because they were famous and desperately in love. The most deadly combination to date.

Luka sighed sadly. They have discussed this already many times, and it never seemed to get any better. All they could do is hope for the best. Until now, they were lucky.

But would it last?

* * *

><p>Miku stretched, back sore and eyes heavy.<p>

Thursday, finally. The week-end was spent in a most plain, but somewhat amusing way, and the school week was getting tough, even if it was the last.

They had to bring books back home, needed to clean their desks, their lockers, everything. Every two years the students needed to do the massive, huge clean-up, for the next two years. That was why the school always looked great and new.

But the work put into that was back-splitting.

Not to mention that their popularity had increased tenfold. And not only the divas', but Meiko and the others', too. Their apparition on stage had shocked most of the school; more than half being at said concert, but almost everybody was wild over their success.

Many were asking questions, like how they got in, why they did, and about the final duet. Miku and Luka didn't know their song had such an impact, but now many were screaming 'we support you!' even when they didn't know they actually were in love. Still only their class knew about them, and all those skeptical eyes had been thrown away.

"Hey, Miku! Why are you so tired?" asked Meiko, leaning the broom against the wall "Did you have too much fun last night?"

"Shut up…" mumbled Miku. She and Meiko cleaned the halls. They were in the 'Hall' team, and they were about fifty. They had to broom and sweep the floors and take away any spider webs in the high corners. Even if it sounded easy, the amount of corridors was too much.

Well, and also Miku was tired.

"Well, straighten up! Only the fourth and fifth floors left!" Miku groaned.

She wished Luka, Neru, Haku or even Len was here. Meiko had been pestering her all morning in shushed tones, and it was really, really annoying, but extremely entertaining for the brunette.

Neru was in the rooms group. She had the do the same as Miku's group, but for every single room in the building, with a few exceptions.

The computer rooms were one of those exceptions. With all the cables and such, some even needing replacement, it took much longer, despite the small amount of rooms. There were only ten people in that group and in there was Luka with Rin, Rin apparently being an expert in technology and mechanics of all sorts. She had even built her own road-roller, and it could easilly go one hundred seventy miles per hour.

But she was an excellent computer hacker, and knew everything that happened on the web. She was a computer-version of Neru. Neru knew everything about everybody through cell phone and Rin the same but through lap top. So, she knew about those thousand different cables as well.

But don't take her for a nerd who sits behind the screen the whole day. She is also a real athlete, and has a short fuse on certain subjects. But she is mostly very generous and kind.

Her brother is calmer, and reads books. But he shares her kindness and generosity. Though, he can be a real kid sometimes, and act a little spoiled. Most would confuse their personalities, but it was almost as if they had swapped bodies. Most expected Rin to be childish and Len a know-it-all genius.

Haku, Len and Gakupo were outside, picking up every scrap of trash they could find. Gakupo had already found a broken TV, apparently pushed out of the computer room. The teacher was relieved to finally know where it went.

Kaito, Len and Gumi did the gyms. Sweeping the floors, cleaning the material, waxing the wood, everything.

There were other groups as well, who hung outside to re-paint the walls, but those were only every six years. Today just happened to fall on that six-year mark.

"How many floors have we done…?" asked Miku. She didn't feel like doing the math right now.

"Well, there are five floors, Miku. So…" Meiko counted with her fingers, looking frustrated. "We did…already…three floors, I think" she nodded, grabbing the broom again. "Yep! Three done, two to go!" Miku collapsed on the ground next to her.

"I don't wanna…"

"Come on, you lazy jam pot! Think of poor Luka, who is covered in cables and is probably electrocuting herself to death!"

"Lucky…"

"And Len, who is cleaning the gym!"

"Lucky…"

"And Haku, who is grabbing garbage!"

"Lucky…" Meiko stood straight.

"Hey, we're the luckiest ones! How come you keep saying they're lucky?"

"Because they're not with you…" Meiko face faulted.

"Right…now get to work!"

"I don't wanna…"

* * *

><p>"Is the mass of dust cleared?"<p>

"Check"

"Are the countertops, sinks and tubs swiped and scrubbed?"

"Check"

"Is the garbage and rotten food thrown out?"

"Check"

"Are all spiders gone?"

"Check"

"Is all of the school stuff cleaned up?"

"Check"

"Finally!" Miku and Luka collapsed on the couch, dirty but happy.

They had just been dropped off at Miku's house by Luka's parents, and after saying goodbye to the adults, they entered the household to discover that it was dust paradise.

So the first thing they could do for the summer vacation was clean even more. Then, once the dust was done, clean their stuff, change the bed sheets (who smelled like moss, for some reason), empty the smelly fridge and clean it, take out the trash, and banish all seventy-three spiders.

"That was probably the hardest working weeks ever!"

"Seriously…cleaning, scrubbing, carrying, dragging, running from the mobs, hiding, singing, dusting…and now we're done!" sighed the smaller girl. Luka chuckled.

"Darn…"

"This was probably the most effortful school year of my life" Luka chuckled again.

"Yeah…all the things we did…we could practically be in a novel!" Miku grinned.

"I'm surprised I can still stand"

Before Luka could answer, the phone rang through the once again sparkling room. Miku slowly got up with a groan, and answered with a slight confusion.

Only Meiko and the others, as did Crypton and Luka's family know this number. But why would anybody call them? They just saw their singing group, Crypton had promised them the full week 'till Sunday free, and Luka's parents had just left the doorstep, before they entered the messy place.

Who?

"Hello?"

-Hey, Miku? It's Rin- and surely Len, too.

"Hey, Rin! What's up?" the blonde swallowed audibly.

-Do you have a blog, of some sort? - Miku frowned.

"No, I don't"

-I don't know if that answers my questions or if that makes this more confusing…- Rin mumbled. Miku could hear her click on her computer.

"Rin, elaborate" Luka joined her side, listening as well.

-Well…I just checked the news…and it talked about Crypton's site….and you apparently have a personal blog on it-

"What?"

-Check it out, I already sent you the address- mumbled the girl, audibly worried and anxious.

Miku hung up, and rushed to the computer. She immediately forgot her fatigue and aching back.

Did Crypton put up a blog, under her name? Miku didn't want one of those. I attracted unnecessary and almost fictional attention in her eyes.

But why would Crypton do that? And why did Rin seem so worried?

She turned on her computer, and anxiously waited for the screen to lighten up. Luka stood behind her, forehead creased in worry.

Something here was off.

When it came to life, Miku didn't wait for it to establish an internet connection and went straight to the internet, drumming her fingers in the wooden desk as it slowly loaded. In her e-mails stood Rin's message, with an URL, who led to Crypton. She clicked it, an anxious drop of sweat rolling down her forehead. Luka leaned forward, to get a better view of the screen.

Miku started reading once it finished loading, and scrolled down as she neared the bottom of the screen. As the two girls read, they blanched, or turned violently red, but their eyes opened wider as their reading pursued.

This was…

Despicable.

* * *

><p>"Rin, explain this!" yelled Miku in the phone, still looking at the screen. To her horror, more comments were being added by the second, the news of this blog spreading fast. And every one was either pleased, or shocked, or very confused.<p>

-I don't know, Miku! I just checked the news online, this was there, I went there, and I'm probably as confused as a dizzy turtle! – She explained. –Did you write that?-

"Absolutely not!" Miku blanched as another displeasing comment was added. "All this is…extremely…"

"Disturbing" finished Luka, still reading the page.

This was the best way to start the summer vacation.

"Rin, can you do anything about this?"

-What can I do? I never hacked anything before! And this is Crypton! - Miku grumbled.

"They would have asked for doing this! And what's written…" another comment made her blanch. "What's written makes me seems like…"

"A totally different person" mumbled Luka, her stomach feeling extremely uneasy. "Really, reading this, somebody would think of you like…"

"A real bitch, in every kind of way!" yelled Miku. "I'm not like that! I didn't have fifty secret boyfriends, all of which I had very intimate relationships, during the last year!" she was now pacing through the room, the simple rage nearly making her forget that Rin was still on the phone.

-If you want…I can try to hack it- proposed Rin quietly. –It says it's yours, but it isn't, so it has no right to be online. That's one of the many rules…- she mumbled. It was evident she was reading the absurdities as well.

"Yes! Please, please remove that horror!" yelled Miku, nearly pleading. "Please, after everything that we have done, this cannot be happening…" she nearly whimpered. Another comment flashed on the screen, and both girls winced.

"Why…?" asked Miku. So many questions were flying through her head. Who did this? Why? Who could have such a rotten imagination?

Miku couldn't remember she was supposed to be furious against a person behind a screen. She barely noticed as Luka held her in a comforting hug, whispering comforting words.

She let her arm fall, and sobbed silently. Things just seem to go up and down, one day everything seems fine and the next everything turns upside down. What that stranger had written…hurt her greatly. And he dares to use her name, to write such profanities! It hurt so much, and the worst was that there was little she could do.

-Miku…? - Miku held the phone back to her ear.

"Yeah…?" Rin sighed.

-I can't get in this-

"It hasn't been five minutes!" she wanted to yell.

-Actually…you have been waiting for forty-five minutes- Miku choked back a sob, and melted in Luka's arms.

They were being so kind…Luka had even held her for almost an hour…

Has it really been forty five minutes? It seemed like seconds.

She hung up, and sobbed in Luka's comforting arms.

Why must the world be so hard?

* * *

><p>Meiko gaped at the screen in horror.<p>

She had just been texted by Neru, who had received an e-mail from Rin. Apparently they needed to get this word out, to stop it from spreading, if possible.

But…how do you stop this…horror in particular?

She scrolled down, going from paper-white to tomato-red. This fraud…

This wasn't Miku. It was impossible for her to have written this, even if she had tried. She wouldn't have had the guts. Well…maybe if Luka would have been at stake.

But Luka was not at stake, and this horror is spreading like wildfire over the net.

Meiko sighed and quit the page.

Who could have done this? She ran down her list. Starting with those closest; those are always the guilty ones.

Luka, absolutely not, she couldn't possibly do a thing like that. It didn't look like her, either. This wasn't the way she wrote.

She, Meiko, was as guilty as a blind guy who could barely stand straight.

Kaito…no. He can't look at a computer without getting eye-ache. He can't even manipulate the mouse. Plus, if it was him, he would have stuffed the paragraphs with the word 'ice-cream', not...those things.

Neru...possibly. Even if she is more the cell-phone chick, she could do this. Her mind was unknown enough for her to write this. But she held no grudges, and she would have done this earlier, too. She wouldn't have waited for so long.

Haku would have fainted because of the webcam.

Gakupo…no. He wouldn't hurt Miku simply because then he would hurt Luka. But would he want that? No, he promised to support and protect them to the death. He was innocent.

Rin is very possible. But Neru just texted the brunette to tell her that she was at the twin's, to help Rin with removing it from the site, or destroy it. Unless Neru was in it, too. But she said that it was impossible to get into. Crypton is covered by high-tech security, and the only way in is a pass code from a person who knows it. The pass code isn't even in the system. Actually, there was only a list of words that weren't allowed. All those permitted weren't in there, and those words could be codes. But they changed every five minutes, and the list was just too long, even for the computers they have.

Crypton was protected by a super-computer of the highest quality.

How could this hacker have possibly gotten in there? He must have either been sitting behind his screen for weeks on end, typing the same word over and over, until it finally got accepted. Or…he got the code, from a dude at Crypton. But then…it would have been permitted by Miku to be posted.

Back to the suspects.

Len…no. Even if he read a kilo of books per day, he couldn't write that, simply because he didn't know how to open the internet on a computer.

Who else? Gumi, but she is striped off the list. She didn't know them well enough to write that…horror. The real guilty guy was very well informed about the smaller diva. He had written a very believable auto-biography, making it look very real.

But…who was it?

Meiko groaned in sheer frustration. The absolutely perfect way to start a summer vacation after a rough year.

Her head shot up.

The culprit has chosen his timing well. They were all tired after this long school year, after their escape from the forest, Luka's dad's heart attack, their move…

They were too tired to reply properly.

Meiko sighed, and got herself a glass of water, frowning. The only way she knew it wasn't Miku who had written it at all, the real proof, was that it didn't mention Miku's real love story.

The culprit might be smart, he might be well-informed, but he just overlooked the most important part of Miku's life.

If Luka would one day leave, then Miku would kill herself, and she wouldn't need an object. And that is also why this dude is also extremely in trouble once he's busted…

Because you don't want to face the two when they're mad.

* * *

><p>Miku groggily opened her eyes, feeling miserable.<p>

She was so happy her phone number was unknown, as her address. Simply because Luka's parents had called them the previous evening, and said that the press was now yelling the whole time through the cracks of their house, and that the phone was ringing constantly.

Her life had just turned very, very sad.

Her whole life, she had sung feelings, emotion, simply for the world to enjoy. She was giving them a small present, a little thing to use at their pleasure, something to listen too to set an ambience, or to lighten a mood.

She had gotten herself an innocent, kind figure. A face people would smile about when they were talking about her, a name people would recognize with a grin.

And this stranger had destroyed her innocent persona.

Not that she really cared being praised the whole time, but she hated being seen like…that. That foul, disgusting image of an average criminal combined with an evil master brain. She didn't want to be seen as a witch. The whole world was now having the impression of really knowing their idol. But no…

The person they looked up to had been destroyed by that simple blog. People all over the world were being disappointed, saying 'all divas are like that, they put up a cute face but they're spoiled brats'. No…she wasn't spoiled. She was happy with what she had.

All she had was a small house, great friends, a nice job, and the best person at her sides.

All she actually needed was Luka.

Miku rolled over, seeing her lover's sleeping form. She felt tears coming to her eyes.

What if they told their love now? What if they revealed what they really were right now? People would despise Luka as well for loving such a dirty, disgusting person.

Miku…would ruin Luka's life.

The smaller girl felt a tear rolling down her cheek.

She had never done much good to Luka. She had said that many times, so many countless times, and Luka always reassured her, saying that she wouldn't have missed it all for the world, but…

She honestly couldn't offer her anything, nothing at all. She had nothing else to offer her but herself.

Miku nearly jumped when Luka's finger gently wiped away the tear. Miku couldn't help the many other tears that replaced it.

"What is it, Miku?"

"I…I…" Luka shushed her, kissing her forehead.

"It's ok. It'll all be ok" she wrapped her arms around Miku's trembling, crying form, stroking her back and combing her hair gently. "Everything will be ok" Miku shook her head.

"No…I did nothing good! I never did anything for-" Luka silenced her with a soft kiss, only causing Miku to cry more tears. Luka then looked at her with sad, but incredibly loving eyes.

"Miku…you are right, in some way" the smaller girl choked back a sob, but Luka only held her tighter. "You did nothing for me to fall in love with you, absolutely nothing. Do you know why I stick with you 'till the very end?" Miku shook her head. "Because you are the cutest, most irresistible character I have ever met. You go to the end, you make your wishes come true, you work hard for everybody to smile and be happy. You try to do things yourself to protect others you love, you…I could go on forever, Miku, forever. Everything about you I love, every single thing" Luka tilted her head up so that she could look in her eyes. "Look, I'm not the huge romantic, but understand that whatever happens, I'll stay right next to you. Like it or not, think you deserve me or not, but I will always stay at your side, no matter the weather, the sounds, or whatever deity will stand in our paths" Miku closed her eyes, and melted in Luka's arms again.

She was being so kind…

"I think…" Luka started, stroking Miku's back. "That there would only be one wish in one circumstance that I wouldn't be able to grant" she stated. Miku looked up to her. "If one day you die…and you asked me to live…I don't think I would succeed, no matter the speech you might give me" the smaller girl bit her lip, and cried in Luka's shoulder, gradually falling asleep.

She was being so, so kind…

That was why she loved her.

* * *

><p>Miku and Luka walked through the park, keeping a sharp eye for anybody from under their hoods.<p>

They both wore their plain jackets, were walking arm-in-arm (nobody could recognize them, plus it made Miku look less like the person described in the blog), and were heading for them small patch of trees at the west of the park.

Everybody was talking about Miku, and her shocking blog. Miku winced every time she heard her name, especially when it was associated to a kid's name who was so looking up to her. She was in the news, and the magazines where going wild.

She wanted to disappear, with nothing but Luka, over the edge of the world.

They were going to discuss the matter in depth with everybody. The whole group had also bought their disguises, but unlike the two diva's black jackets, each got a different one, simply so that when they were walking in group it didn't look odd.

Once they got in the trees' view, they quickened the pace, feeling like criminals.

They spotted a green and yellow jacket between the trees, green being Len and yellow being Rin. Neru wore grey, Gakupo wore white, Meiko wore red, Kaito wore deep blue, Gumi wore orange and Haku wore deep purple.

The two sitting kids looked up at the stars as they entered the clearing.

"Hey" the greeted weekly. Miku spotted Rin's face as she sat down, and saw that the girl looked extremely tired.

Had she been working all night?

"How bad is it?" she asked, trying to ignore the feeling of sadness in her gut. Rin sighed.

"One million comments in half a day…and it's impossible to grasp any of the code words, even if they are a hundred" she looked at the two divas. "Sorry, I really did my best…" Miku sighed.

"It's ok, thanks…" Luka rubbed her shoulder. Soon the others joined them, everybody silent and slightly confused.

"What exactly happened?" asked Haku.

"Crypton either got hacked by a genius or they're really crazy…" grumbled Gakupo. He was mad ever since he got the text and reading that blog. He wished he was a computer genius. Haku nodded sadly.

"How can we solve it?" she asked. Rin shook her head.

"Only Crypton's computer and engineering staff can get the codes. We could ask them, show them the damage done to the site, but there's a problem…" she shook her tired head. "Their site shows no damage. It was almost as if they had let somebody put that thing there" she stated. Miku bit her lip.

"Why?" everybody looked at her. "Why would somebody want to do that?" Gumi sighed.

"The world is filled with nasty and twisted people, Miku. There is little we can do about or for them…"

"But I've never harmed a soul…" Luka grinned, but it didn't hold any emotion.

"Well, you did harm a bear, a few other animals. But I doubt that they can use computers…"

"So…we can't hack into the system, we can't get permission to correct something that doesn't look like a mistake…what do we do?" asked Kaito. Rin shook her head.

"I really, really don't know. I spent seven hours infiltrating the damned site…and nothing. There's nothing stranger on the site, proving again that it seemed voluntary, there are no leads, no IP's, nothing…" she rubbed her forehead. "Unless I get a humongous super-computer, we can do absolutely nothing"

"How about tracking the guy?" asked Gakupo. Rin looked at him.

"I already said that. There are no other things there other than Crypton's stuff. That blog was put there with the company's agreement"

"But…we can tell them that there's an error, that that isn't supposed to be there-"

"No. They think it really is Miku who put it there, with everybody's permission"

"What if Miku says it herself?" Rin shrugged.

"I don't know…but I don't think they'll willingly let it go. It's the most visited page, well, almost, tied with the page to pre-order the concert CD and Album. But…I don't think they can remove it, either"

"Maybe edit it?"

"Nope"

Silence fell on the clearing. Some kids passed by, cheering about their vacation. The browning leaves fluttered in the soft wind, making the place seem almost magical.

Even if it was only end summer, it already looked like autumn.

And even if it only was the beginning of the summer, the leaves didn't seem to be the only things falling.


	13. Time For Games

A full, horrible week had gone by...

Miku was down sick, not being able to do much. Every other day a new post was put on the blog, and everything kept getting worse to end-of-the-world-like.

They couldn't do anything at all. Rin had skipped so many nights of sleep trying to infiltrate the system to bring down or merely modify the page, and not once did she get close. Whenever she was called she sounded tired and on the end of the line, and was extremely snappy. Gakupo kept her company, trying to help as much as he could.

Neru, with the help of the others, had put up a new site, protesting against the blog, denying its reality. But it was called a fake by many, seeing how that blog was on Crypton's original site and the counter-site was not.

Crypton refused to take it down. No matter how much they insisted, those meat-heads didn't listen and let the imposter put up a new horror every 48 hours.

Rin insisted that she needed a supercomputer or at least fifty ordinary computers in order to break in, let alone modify it. But a single supercomputer was extremely expensive, big, and once bought, it was easily broken.

There was nothing they could do.

Others they knew where concerned for them, not believing the ridiculous site, despite its location. Luka's parents and family, the school, and even Lily were posting things everywhere to defend Miku's being.

Miku herself was a mess, and Luka was doing her very best out of this. The smaller diva had developed a fever, simply because of emotions.

Her hatred for that evil imposter was twisted with her thankful feeling towards her friends. Rin was working so hard, as where the others, and some she barely knew.

They were being so kind…

And Luka was doing her very best to make her feel better. She cooked whatever she wanted, whenever she actually felt like eating, held her close, and always kept a big box of tissues ready in case there was a breakdown.

Miku couldn't explain why she was feeling so horrible. She didn't really care about what people thought of her, as long as she pleases more than the opposite. What she wants is to make people happy, smile, and as long as she wasn't annoying too many people, she would stay where she would be.

But this person…was insulting her deeply and painfully. She was making herself be hated.

What if the world turned around, and she became a nuisance? Then she would do what she had to do, and step away from the microphone. Once she would be a bother, she would search for a better place to be.

But…she didn't want to stop singing, and this person was almost forcing her to. To go away, pushed by hands that were turned around by lies…

It hurt. It hurt deeply and profoundly.

Miku crumbled again, digging her wet face in Luka's shoulder for the hundredth time in a few days. She felt Luka softly rub her back, whisper comforting words and grab more tissues again, for the millionth time.

She was being so kind, so patient, and so strong, so understanding. It almost hurt Miku even more, but she couldn't see why.

She couldn't think of what to feel right now. Everything was upside-down.

Half an hour later, Miku was calm again, sitting in Luka's lap, being caressed and held like a child in that warm embrace. If she had been in any other state, she couldn't have been better. But now…

Miku knew she would have to return to work at Crypton sooner or later. But she didn't want to see those jerks quite yet. Couldn't they simply remove a measly site? It's simple! And yet, they refuse to…

Plus, the law is on her side. No matter how much Rin can insist by mail, call or message that if Miku didn't want it, they had to take it down, their pleas fell on deaf ears.

Why?

Miku was beginning to suspect that the evil imposter had taken over the communication line as well, and had told that to Luka between cries, who had told Rin. Neru, who was more about connection, had stated that their messages and pleas all landed in Crypton, exactly where it is supposed to.

They had talked about the suspects, too. Their main worry, their main fear was Dorian. The mere mention of the name made Luka growl and Miku quiver. But the man in question was at New York, running a small theatre. He couldn't possibly be it. His Crypton I.D. card had been destroyed, as was everything that could serve. And even if he did come back, the security would stop him.

But who else? Who else could possibly say, write such terrible things?

Even Dorian seemed too much of an angel to write those terrible words.

And with all that was happening, they had even forgotten about their vacation.

* * *

><p>Lily sighed.<p>

This was catastrophic, despite it being so little.

It was just a blog! A few programmed pixels on a screen or something like that! And…

For some strange reason, it was destroying Miku from the inside out. The blonde knew that the young diva wasn't that concerned with her image, but whenever she visited the dating singers, Miku didn't even seem to realize she was there. The only thing she did was cry, weep and whimper, and cry again, the whole time lost in some deep thoughts and clinging to Luka like a koala on a tree.

Lily shook her head, knocking on the door in front of her. She was now on Haku's doorstep, to discuss all this.

The whole group had unconsciously divided in small groups to try to subdue the effect of the terror on the screen. Though, nothing seemed effective.

Gakupo kept helping Rin out behind the screen, hours on edge trying to crack into that supercomputer. Neru and Len were calling everybody they knew, a few hundred people, and were spreading word of the fake-ness of the blog. Meiko, Kaito, Gumi and Haku, even Lily herself, did the rest. That was supporting their other friends, providing moral support for crumbling Miku and post more alerts in newspapers and such. Gumi herself kept record of everything posted on the blog, trying to find weak spots that could give them an upper hand.

"Hey, Lily" the blonde nodded in reply to Haku's greeting, and followed the silver-haired girl inside. They were here alone right now. Meiko and Kaito were at their summer jobs for the time being, still spreading the word. Gumi couldn't make it right then. "How is Miku?" questioned the newer diva. Lily sighed.

"She didn't even see me, again" Haku sighed as well.

"This is so big, despite its size…"

"I never thought that a few words on a screen could do so much"

"But those words…" both shivered. "And they get worse every time"

A small silence overcame the two, Haku leaving after a moment to get her and her guest something to drink.

"Some way to begin the vacation, huh?" asked Lily with sarcasm. Haku nodded as she came back with the small tray with tea.

"I nearly forgot it was…"

"But it is, and we're working harder than usual, it seems" Haku looked at her for a moment.

"Why are you helping, actually? We all know Miku, we all know she doesn't deserve such a cruel persona, but you barely do" Lily smiled sadly.

"I know that, too. She's a wonderful girl; she has such a bright future ahead. It doesn't deserve to be ruined in any way; she doesn't deserve to be ruined" Haku nodded and hummed an approval.

"She's so lucky to have Luka, and Luka's so lucky to have her…" she sighed, blowing into her tea. Everybody seemed to be sighing these days. Miku had such an effect on them. Her absent smile was lacking in their everyday lives.

They wondered how Luka was handling it.

"Indeed. I only wish I could be as lucky as them…" replied the blonde. Haku looked up in interest.

"Well, I don't mean to pry, but what happened, actually?" Lily laughed with a bitter tone, knowing what she was talking about.

"Ah…well…" she inhaled deeply, and sipped from her tea.

Her mind wandered off as she gazed through the small amount of steam emitted by the warm drink. She was hesitating, for the first time in years she was hesitating. The feeling felt odd in her stomach; normally she was always so sure of herself and others, normally she was direct and almost painfully blunt; but this subject always sent her tumbling back into a wave of painful memories.

Normally she would have waved this off, or turn deaf in less than a second, but…

For some reason, the person in front of her made her feel different. She had asked with a genuine care, instead of prying curiosity.

Again, Lily hadn't had a real friend in years as well. Lately she was only considered a somewhat lazy star, but a diva nonetheless. People looked up to her, etc., etc… But now she had real friends, stars as well, who wouldn't look up to her in such a way or pry like those unnerving reporters.

And she felt that they cared for her, too. Of course, less than Miku, because they knew her longer, and all that. But, she was still cared for.

But still she hesitated in releasing these kept secrets to the girl in front of her. They were painful, and she knew that she couldn't tell them exactly how she felt them. Lily was never good with expressing herself with words. Her story would sound lame, nothing worth crying about.

And yet, merely trying to remember them made Lily want to drown in sorrow, break a mirror and use the shards to cut her insides out from embarrassment, shame and disgrace.

How could she possibly recount these horrible feelings to this innocent camera-phobic (not that she judged, but Haku seemed like such a sweet, innocent girl despite her large chest and tall figure)?

Lily took another sip without putting the cup down, still gazing at pretty much nothing. Slowly her gaze shifted to Haku, who was sitting across from her, looking at her with a patient gaze. Her red eyes were genuinely worried and filled with care, a little interest and curiosity, and understanding.

Had she lived through similar things? She seemed so aware…

Lily inhaled deeply, ready to speak of things that made her throw random things against walls.

"You see, I had a girlfriend, and after about a month of dating, I told my parents that I was seeing somebody" Lily spoke quickly, with a somewhat choked voice.

Already the memories were flowing back, making Lily out her mug down and stare at the table.

"After a few days and a quite large array of…events, my parents kicked me out, quite literally, banishing me from everything I had" The blonde slouched down a little, keeping her gaze on the table as even as possible.

The omitted events hurt too much to tell. Tears came to her eyes as she tried desperately to avoid remembering them in their horrid, vivid detail.

"The school kicked me out, thanks to my parents. After just a day the whole town didn't want me anymore, hearing the news that spread like wildfire…I got disowned, and my girlfriend tossed me aside, fearing her own parent's reaction just by seeing what became of me-" he breath caught, remembering the sight that had torn her heart out of her chest. Her girlfriend, running away from her, screaming at her that it was over, that nothing had ever happened.

Nothing had hurt so much…

Lily suddenly felt the familiar dizziness from the inner pain taking over; the tears that she had tried to push back fall over her cheeks.

Normally she never let anybody see her cry.

But when Haku, who had taken a seat next to her, embraced her in a comforting hug, she let any worries melt away and simply cried her heart out.

For the first time in years, she had let these painful memories lose, out of their cage.

Why did it hurt slightly?

* * *

><p>The small man cursed violently, eyes wide from under his sunglasses.<p>

This was…preposterous.

With a tired sigh, he closed the laptop, and took out some papers.

Luka and Miku hadn't been working for almost two full weeks. If their career continued like this, always missing out on work every month or so, then they are going to lose a lot and quickly.

But he had to sympathize; it wasn't their fault.

He shook his head, trying to clear it from the fresh memories from that awful blog.

The forest was Dorian's doing, and this was an unknown mystery.

Who else was going to hate on the two young women?

He flipped through the pages, not really focusing fully.

He had known Dorian for years; he had never thought that he could have pulled off such a terrible stunt. And yet, he was as guilty as ever. He only missed the courtroom because Luka let him run. If he had gone through a trial, he would have been sentenced to a few years in prison, at the least. Manipulation and attempted rape wasn't very kindly looked upon.

Now the man was somewhere at the other side of the globe, making and planning cheap shows for empty-pocket-onlookers.

He was lucky, almost.

The small man adjusted his glasses, trying to get his head in the numbers and letters in front of him, but the task seemed almost impossible.

With an angry grunt, he slammed the papers on the desk, and decided to think this through.

That blog was destroying Miku, he heard. Rin and Neru, two blondes, had been calling Crypton, and him himself, for the last week, pleading for something to be eliminated from the site.

He had no idea what they were whining about. He thought it was some teenage thing, complaining about their info or something else on the site.

But when he went to take a look, he understood completely.

The man sat up again with a sigh, rubbing his forehead.

That blog would destroy anyone. Those weren't insults; they were a weaponless assault, murder.

With a determined look, he lifted the phone and dialed the number.

Normally he would have done something only because it was slowing down the efficiency of his two divas, but now it was because...simply because.

Miku was a good girl, Luka was a good girl as well, and the first was being verbally killed while the second was watching her friend break down.

He couldn't let that happen to these two wonderful youths.

-Hello?- came a voice from the other end of the line, nearly startling the man out of his thoughts.

"Hello, this is Luka and Miku's manager speaking" he stated. There was no point in saying his name. He was better known for who he was managing; his name itself was impossible to remember, pronounce, and was practically unknown.

-Ah, hello sir, how can we help you?-

"There is a technical problem on the site" he answered dryly.

The man had no idea how the blog could have been an error; he knew for a fact that their system was practically impenetrable. Only a supercomputer of immense size and a computer expert could barely change a letter on the site.

But he had no doubts that it was an error, something put there courtesy of an unhappy fan or a madman.

Miku would never, ever write such things about herself.

-Uhm, I'm sorry, sir, but there are no errors detected-

"Then you are wrong. Haven't you been getting complaints for the last week?" he asked, nearly in a snappy way.

-Well, yes. From the newer divas, Rin and Neru- the manager nearly groaned; nobody could remember his name, even if he worked there for a lifetime, and those two were barely on the job for two weeks and everybody knew them.

But now wasn't the time for that.

"What about?"

-Well, they kept saying that there was this blog thingy that was put on the site by some imposter-

"And they're darn right! Can't you remove it?" he nearly yelled in the phone. He felt the man on the other end cringe.

-But…-

"But what?"

-Well…our systems don't show an infiltration from any outside source, and everything there seems normal!- The manager grunted.

"This monstrous blog about Miku is not normal! Remove it!"

-Blog?-

"Yes!"

-Wait a moment, please- the small man heard various clicking, then silence.

-Did Miku really write this?- He asked after a moment.

"No! I'm telling you, a filthy rat put it there, and I want you to take it away!"

-But…I can't!-

* * *

><p>Miku sniffed a little, putting her tissues back in her pocket. She was now outside with Luka, on a walk, to freshen up a little bit. They hadn't been able to go outside for a week, and the fresh air made the duo feel a little better.<p>

Miku pulled the hood more snugly around her head, not wanting to be recognized. She had no idea how many people knew about 'her' blog right now, but she knew that at least half the globe was aware of it. Or, it felt like it.

In any case, she heard her name every now and then, in shushed whispers between close friends.

It was almost as if…people didn't want to get caught talking about her.

Miku felt a fresh wave of tears menacing to emerge for the millionth time, and squeezed Luka's hand as she reached for her just put away tissues.

Miku didn't dare look around at the sunny weather. For her everything was a boring, monotone grey that didn't seem to dissolve. The sun, the childish cheers, the birds, nothing seemed to reach her besides the fresh, non-salty air that was entering her tired lungs.

Miku felt like she had aged a decade in a week. She was extremely tired from crying 24/7, and her ragged breathing had made her chest feel heavy. She needed some sleep, and so did Luka, but Miku didn't seem to be able to and Luka had promised to stay right next to her no matter what.

Earlier, they had received a call from Crypton, which Lily had answered. Miku was starting to realize that Lily had been coming over every day, to tell Luka how things were going. But she never found the strength to acknowledge to blonde; she was too tired, and the kindness she was showing to almost a stranger nearly hurt for some reason. Miku was so grateful, and so sorry for being such a weakling. But everybody seemed to be doing their ultimate best…

Back to Crypton; apparently they had to get back to work in a day or three, Miku didn't know anymore; she couldn't remember how much time had passed since the call. She could no longer make a difference between night and day.

But that nearly upset her; she didn't feel like working anymore, and she feared what the people there would say about her.

But Luka had accepted, though slightly hesitantly, and had tried even harder to help her beloved to get out of her depression.

As they walked outside in the fresh autumn air, Miku could practically feel Luka think for a solution. She had been all week, Miku knew it. They had all been searching for a solution.

And there were no results.

The smaller girl wanted to curse as she started crying again; why did she have to be so weak? Why did a bunch of words have to take her down?

It was too complicated. She couldn't describe the endless fear, sadness, thankfulness and happiness that were ringing through her head. Was it the great number of emotions that was driving her over the edge?

It almost seemed so.

Miku leaned against Luka's taller form, feeling the arm around her shoulders tighten its grip.

Everybody was being so kind…

This was the cruelest twist of heaven and hell.

* * *

><p>Rin raged, her eyes aching and her back sore.<p>

She had been sitting here for almost the whole week, in front of the screen, trying to infiltrate a wall that didn't seem to have any cracks.

She had tried everything at least a thousand times. Nothing worked, not even the most elaborate things she found on sites and tutorials on the internet and in books.

Crypton was unbreakable, impenetrable. No matter how much she tried, there was always a new obstacle, a new dead-end.

When another 'Access Denied' window opened on the screen that her blood-shot eyes were trained on, she felt like roaring her frustration and smashing every object on her desk.

A large comforting hand rested on her shoulder, and Rin instinctively leaned into it, needing comfort.

She knew it was Gakupo; he had stayed here the whole time, whenever he could get the permission from his mother. He was the reason she hadn't broken down yet; he distracted her from the screen every now and then, engaging conversation so that Rin could continue after ten minutes feeling rejuvenated.

She knew that Gakupo was only helping her because she was the most important piece in the unofficial plan to free Miku from the haunting blog. If she succeeded, then this would be over.

For some reason, that made her already miserable-feeling head sway a little more but she didn't pay mind; she appreciated the fact that he was there.

Len was with Neru, as always. They called everyone, proving to them that the blog was a fake; but it still wasn't spreading fast enough.

Rin felt like they were a fragile tower of cards; everybody was leaning against somebody else. Miku and Luka, on top, are the crown of the tower. If they collapsed, the rest would, too. Rin and Gakupo were supporting each other; they were second from the top, sharing the place with Len and Neru. Under them were Meiko, Kaito, Gumi, Haku and Lily, all mutually supporting each other, making sure that their very being in social life wasn't ruined by that wind of a blog.

"No better?" asked Gakupo, rubbing Rin's shoulder in comfort. The blonde shook her head.

"Not one step forward" the young man sighed.

"We have to go to work in two days, Miku and Luka will be there, too. Better rest now, to sport a strong figure for them, they need it" he explained. Rin started to protest, but he squeezed her shoulder slightly, but not painfully. "Rin, if you rest you'll be able to solve this quicker. Now, just let it slide for a moment"

After a small inner battle, Rin sighed loudly and nodded. She was helped to her room by the purple-haired boy, and tucked into bed.

Gakupo was being so kind for her, even if she knew it was for Luka. Once again her head spun.

When the boy started walking off, Rin grabbed the rim of his white shirt weakly. Sitting behind that screen for so long really wasn't good, she was sure Gakupo could hardly feel her weak little hand touch the fabric.

Yet Gakupo turned toward her much to her relief.

"Please…stay" she mumbled, feeling at the edge of sleep. With a smile he sat on the edge of her bed, and immediately she fell in a deep, well-deserved slumber.

Gakupo watched her fall practically unconscious with a small, almost invisible smile.

This girl, who barely knew the two singing divas, was trying so hard.

He wondered why she was helping them; the way they had met wasn't the best kind; her brother was involved with the plan of tossing them out of Crypton. Yet, now they were all a huge big family, needing everybody else for support. Their pasts have literally been thrown behind them.

But still, that wasn't a convincing reason for the twins to be helping her, nor Gumi or Lily for that matter. Those four hardly knew them, compared to the others, but they were helping just as much, if not more.

Why?

He sighed, deciding that that didn't really matter. What did matter was the outcome.

* * *

><p>Meiko sighed, cursing the super-joyful atmosphere in the room in her own special language under her breath.<p>

Why was everybody so sickeningly happy? Seriously, there was nothing to be happy about. Some snot-mouth was putting up rotten bogus about Miku on the internet.

She had no idea why he, or maybe even she, was doing it, didn't know what might have pushed him, or his background, but he deserved worse than hell for this. He was completely ruining Miku's life.

Meiko and Kaito were now currently off-duty, but both worked at a small bar a little way away from where they lived. They had been hired here ever since vacation started, and had been planning to for a while. Kaito was dreaming to be in control of the ice-cream cart, while she just joined him because she needed the money.

Well, back then.

Now, their accounts were flooding with money. So now they were taking advantage of their being here to try to stop the spreading of that stupid blog.

Gee, this was a storm in a cup of water, really. Something so small, is so big. Everybody is making such a big deal out of it.

It is a big deal, actually.

They weren't deaf, the two newer superstars. People kept speaking of them, and of that wretched blog.

The duo weren't recognized because they tried not to be, and that seemed to be enough. Meiko wore a baseball cap, and Kaito hid behind sunglasses that fit him surprisingly well. Their manager had allowed them to keep their small disguise during their shifts, understanding.

Meiko scoffed as another group by the window started talking about that wretched subject.

Everybody knew about it! The whole dang world knew.

The brunette took a sip from the glass she was holding, a scowl covering her face.

What could they do? They talked to the clients when they were talking about that cursed site, saying how fake it is, and proving so, thanks to observations done by Gumi, but the mistaken were always doubtful.

There really was little they were capable of doing.

"Meiko?"

"Hmm…?" she didn't bother opening her mouth.

"Our shift is starting again" the brunette nodded, and got back to her post.

She was a waitress. She was going to serve drinks and cakes and other things to these ignorant people.

But it really wasn't their fault. These 'facts' are being spread, shoved in their faces, not that they could do anything about it.

But, it is their fault for believing such atrocities. And they needed to stop them from believing such things.

But how do you prove something wrong if it is believed by half of the globe?

* * *

><p>The room was silent, filled with a soft, persistent clicking, and every now and then a small little tone echoed against the walls.<p>

Two blondes sat on the bed, eyes strained on the small screens in front of them. The girl was texting at an outrageous speed with one hand, the other hand holding a cup of water. The boy was texting almost just as fast, though with both hands, and he seemed in desperate need for that water. The girl, on the other hand, seemed completely relaxed.

Neru handed her companion the glass when he cleared his throat. He accepted it thankfully, and after a long drink, handed it back to her, and continued his previous task.

"Say…Neru?" asked the boy after a few more minutes of silence. The girl hummed, indicating that she was listening. "Who do you think is doing this?"

No answer came for a long time. Eventually Neru spoke.

"I have no idea, Len" the boy nodded. "Say, Len?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you helping?" the boy turned towards her, a slightly puzzled expression on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you, along with your sis, Gumi and Lily, you are all helping so much, but you hardly know Miku" Len smiled softly, and Neru felt her cheeks redden oh so slightly.

"Why do you help?" he asked. She didn't hesitate in her answer.

"They don't deserve it, nobody does. It's too awful. And they never did anything to deserve such a thing, never. They are two of the kindest people I've ever met, and they hold the most precious thing of all" Len's eyebrow rose slightly.

"What?"

"True, undeniable, unbreakable love. Only Romeo and Juliet could have survived that fall, and yet they both did, only to save the other, not knowing what kind of hell they were going to come to. They feared the outside world, they knew that you and Dorian where there, and that the world must have thought them dead. Yet, they braved everything to get out of there, only to live together, no matter the consequence" she glanced at him. "You can't deny that they hold a stronger love than any of us will ever feel"

Len nodded, he understood perfectly.

While Meiko and Kaito where going out, as were Neru and himself, they weren't really, truly in love yet. And if one day that rare, blissful feeling did grow between either couple, it would never compare to the beautiful flower that has sprouted between the two divas.

"That is why I'm giving my all; we cannot let anybody ruin such a beautiful thing" finished the girl.

Len nodded again with another smile.

He somehow knew that, and he somehow knew that everybody else did, deep within themselves. Nobody had a real concrete reason or anything to repay, they just knew that those two needed them, and they couldn't let their pleas go unanswered. Breaking this powerful, gorgeous love would break them as well, they all knew that in the depths of their minds.

"And that's also why I'm helping" he answered truthfully.

"It doesn't have anything to do with getting your pardon for working with Dorian?" she asked. Len stared at her, then laughed stupidly while rubbing his head.

"Ah, that! I completely forgot about all that! What this little site can do…" he finished slowly, getting his head back in the midst of the problem.

Neru smiled warmly.

"Hey, it's ok. I know they forgave you already, you don't have to work harder just for that, they don't care anymore" Len turned back towards her, a small smile pulling on his lips.

"Thanks Neru"

With a nod, both got back to their furious texting.

"Hey…Neru?" Neru hummed.

"Where did you get all of these contacts?" Neru smiled.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out" he groaned, but went back to work.

'When is this going to end?', was his last, unasked question.

* * *

><p>Gumi growled furiously, clicking, reading, clicking again, highlighting, dragging, comparing.<p>

God, where is a supercomputer when you need one?

She sighed, thinking that Rin must be having the same thoughts.

She was trying anything to put down the site, in her own way. She thought, that if she found some things that belonged to other sites about Miku, that she could flag copyright infringement and get the site pulled down that way. But the guy who wrote this has done his work entirely by hand, it seems. Nothing was similar to anything.

When she wasn't trying to tattle-tale, she was scanning the page for errors.

None. The imposter was bluntly and shockingly correct. Has he watched Miku since she was born or what? The truth in the culprit's words was undeniable.

And yet, he added to that truth the most shocking things, but things that Miku herself couldn't find to deny; she has no proof that any of these things had never happened.

Gumi felt the need to munch on a kilo of carrots just to give herself something to do.

This was endless, it seemed.

The doorbell rang, and Gumi quickly rose to answer the door. Anything that pulled her from the screen was accepted with open arms.

She wouldn't be all that puzzled to find Haku on her doorstep, or Lily, she had been getting regular visits from the two, but she was a little bit puzzled to why they were both here.

A spark lit in her mind; did they find a solution?

"Hey!" she greeted, but stopped herself from asking how they were. Lily wasn't looking all that great.

"Hi!" returned the silver-haired girl. Gumi let them enter, a little puzzled to why Lily hadn't said something. Normally she was oh so happy and everything.

"So, what's up?" asked the green-haired analyzer. Haku shrugged.

"We were wondering if you needed help, we don't have much to do right now" Gumi nodded, and led them to her room.

It wasn't the cleanest place in the world, to be brief. And the bookcases seemed to be filled with a variety of books and comics. Her closet was empty and her floor was not, and the bed was the complete opposite of 'clean'.

"Nice room!" exclaimed Lily, though with a slightly tired undertone. Gumi grinned.

"Meh, don't ever feel like cleaning it up…" the blonde laughed.

"Just like me! Now, where is the computer, because I can't find a thing in this mess!"

"Hey!"

"Well, I can find my things in my mess, but it's impossible for me to find anything in another person's mess!" justified Lily, seeming a bit better. Haku remained silent during the whole conversation; it was funny to listen to.

Without answering Gumi led them to the screen, crammed between a stack of paper and a pile of socks and shirts.

"How do you wear clean clothes every day?" asked Lily. "I at least put some of my stuff in the laundry basket!"

"This is my laundry basket…" mumbled Gumi with a grin. Yes, the place on the floor to the right of her computer was her laundry basket.

"You know what, I like you more and more every second I see you!" cheered Lily. Gumi didn't fail to notice the teensy falter in Haku's expression. She quickly shook it off, though.

"So…how can we help?" asked the silver-haired girl. Gumi sighed.

"Well, now I'm trying to find faults in the page, to put it down in a different way, but it's not working"

"What do we actually need to put the page down?" asked Lily. Gumi looked at her in disbelief. "Hey! I'm no computer genius!"

"Well, either a copyright infringement, or a hell of a supercomputer" the blonde smiled.

"Well, seems that the copyright thing isn't working, so why don't we search for a supercomputer to buy?"

Silence filled the room.

"Do you know how expensive those things are?" asked Gumi slowly. "The 'super' implies 'very, very expensive'" Lily just shrugged.

"I'm sure nothing our money can't buy" Gumi only smiled.

"Of course"

* * *

><p>Meiko pulled out her cell phone, putting away the magazine she was reading.<p>

It was two in the morning, and she couldn't sleep. She had gotten home from her work hours ago, being dropped off by Kaito, and could find anything better to do than reading this random magazine from Europe somebody had given her that she could barely read.

Needless to say she was happy that somebody decided to text her.

_Hey, Meiko!_

_Neru here, and I'm at Gumi's. We're currently searching online for cheap supercomputers, but those things are expensive as hell, and need a ton of space._

_Could you help us?_

_On another subject, well not really, but Miku is feeling slightly better now and is ready to go to work tomorrow, so be there!_

Meiko sighed. Only now they got the idea to search for supercomputers online for sale? She had already tried, for days in a row, and had given up.

They weren't cheap, and they weren't small. Even the sum of their money together wouldn't get them one in a year, and what would they do with the thing once they got it? No place to put it.

Dead end, that's what it was.

This whole case was getting twisted as hell.

Weren't they overreacting, was one of her questions. Miku was practically offering herself death to a few words from one person. And everybody is trying so donkey-butt hard to help.

She sighed tiredly, feeling tears come to her eyes.

That was more than a blog, a silly site. Those where more than words, they were…

Murder.

And they wanted to help, because they were getting destroyed as well. They feared the same fate.

No, that's yoghurt-crap.

They didn't fear their fates, they feared the fates of those who survived the impossible, only to die again, and then come back to a world who turned its back on them.

They were going to try their best.

They had to.

Throwing her magazine on the ground randomly, Meiko decided to turn in, seeing she had to go to Crypton tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Miku sighed as she looked up at the huge building, feeling mixed emotions.<p>

Hatred, fear, joy.

Leaning into Luka's side, they walked inside, hiding from the autumn wind. Apparently this year the winter was going to get cold.

She was feeling much better yesterday and the day before, crying less and able to maintain her composure for a longer time. But she was happy to see her friends again and to do something to distract her from that wretched site.

They walked through the halls, Miku not paying much attention to what was happening around her. Every now and then, she heard her name, but didn't pay much mind.

A slight shake to her shoulder woke her from her daze.

"Hey, it's going to be okay" reassured Luka, a wide smile on her face. Though Miku could see the worry in her eyes.

She weakly smiled back, not caring that anybody would be able to tell that it was only a facade.

"Greetings, Miku, Luka!" The two girls turned towards their manager. He seemed slightly frustrated and tired himself, but he was smiling.

Behind him stood three men. All where tall, one well-build and seemed pretty formal, the next looking like he wanted the world to die and the last seemed as nonchalant as ever.

"This is Usui, he will be the Gumi and the twins' manager" he turned towards the well-build man. Usui smiled in greeting.

"He is Kenta, and will be Gakupo, Meiko and Kaito's manager" the army general nodded curtly, his mouth drawn in a thin line. Miku silently wished the best of luck for her friends; this man seemed to be the representation of torture.

"And this is Maxim" introduced the man, turning towards the final man. A wide smile was his greeting to the two divas.

A real charmer, Miku thought.

"He will be Neru and Haku's manager" he finished. The two divas were introduced as well, and were immediately harassed with questions.

"How are you feeling, Miku?" asked Usui. Miku couldn't tell if he really cared or not.

"Better" the soldier frowned at this answer.

"I have seen what that imposter has written on your subject" Miku knew Meiko wasn't going to like this guy. "I think it is outrageous" Luka smiled slightly.

"Well, we have been trying to do something about it…"

"Ah, yes, the word about it is everywhere. Terrible, really" spoke the first, tone sincere. "Unfortunately, there is little we can do about it"

"How so? Surely Crypton can take down something on its own site!" protested Luka.

"We have tried" both girls turned towards Kenta. "But our computer experts have found it impossible to take down. It is embedded in the system, permanently it seems. My colleague works there daily, so I am well informed"

"Ah…" sighed Miku.

So that was it; Crypton was also being taken advantage of. Miku wasn't the only victim.

But…who in the world had enough technological expertise to do such a thing so flawlessly?

Somebody had to be working on it from the inside. That was the first thought that entered her mind.

Nobody outside of this building could have possibly pulled this off.

She mentally noted to ask Neru to investigate on Kenta's friend. Not that she pre-judged him or anything, but she wanted to know.

A burning curiosity was gnawing at her now.

Miku woke from her thoughts to find herself walking towards the recording rooms. With a smile she saw some of her friends; Rin, Len, Haku, Gakupo and Kaito, who were waiting for their arrival.

"Miku!" cheered Rin, throwing herself in her direction. "Long time no see! How are you?"

"Better…" she couldn't fail to see the rings under the blonde's eyes. "Thanks for helping, guys…"

"No problem!" answered Len. "We're just a little tired, that's all!"

"Then where are Gumi, Lily, Neru and Meiko?" asked Luka. Miku nodded, noticing their absence as well. Kaito laughed.

"All of them turned in late last night. Apparently there has been a breakthrough"

A fly could be heard landing.

"Eh?" gasped Miku. "Really?"

"Well, don't get your hopes up, but we can still hope for the best!"

The small group cheered.

Kenta cleared his throat, and Miku saw Kaito wince. Ah, so they had already met.

"Well, now that the reunions are done, we can get back to our jobs" he stated. Kaito swallowed and left the room, followed by Gakupo, who seemed to be praying.

Kenta seemed vicious.

"Well, kiddies, time to get on your new song!" exclaimed Usui.

"We're not kids!" yelled Rin and Len. The man laughed.

"Of course not…" he laughed.

Miku smiled.

She did need to get her mind off things.

* * *

><p>Rin sighed as she took a cup of water.<p>

It was currently three in the afternoon, and she was tired as hell.

She and her brother had just finished writing and composing a song, 'Butterfly on you Right Shoulder'. They were considering it to be a single, but they thought it would sound better with the two of them singing as a duet.

She hadn't seen Miku, Luka or the others besides her brother since lunch. Gakupo and Kaito seemed better than expected after being with that monster of a man for so long. Meiko and the others still hadn't shown up; but Neru had texted her brother saying that they would be over in a few hours.

They still had to show.

But what set a smile on Rin's face was that Miku seemed so much better after a few hours of work. She was working on a song she said she would call 'Rolling Girl'. Luka was also in progress of writing a new hit, which she was going to name 'Blackjack'.

Gakupo and Kaito where currently working on a duet, but they weren't that far in it yet.

Rin had no idea where all this inspiration came from. Maybe after so long, they finally had a way to express themselves in a different way than tears and yells.

She sighed happily, seeing the dating divas approaching them. She put down her glass, and re-entered the recording studio, willing to get the music right as soon as possible.

Luka groaned, sitting on the bench where her girlfriend was seated, closely followed by Len. The recording for her song was really hard, seeing all the recording and the mixing and everything…

"Wow, I think this one is going to take a while" mumbled Miku, taking a gulp of water. Luka nodded, seeming slightly distracted.

"Did you see the new blog update?" asked Len out of the blue, curious. It had updated that afternoon, and they had to keep track of what was being said.

It wasn't getting better.

Miku groaned.

"Of course I did! And it's even worse than the last! And it seemed impossible for it to get worse…" she trailed off. "I mean…who can do that? And Rin is still trying to get in there…"

Luka smiled warmly. Miku seemed so much better, all of a sudden.

Work wasn't that bad after all, it seems. Maybe all she needed was to see her friends, talk to people and write down her feelings.

Len sat up.

"Strange…" he mumbled, looking at one of the crewmen who just passed by. "Isn't this the fifth time in less than a minute he just passed in front of us?" Luka waved her hand.

"Bah, people are busy here, happens all the time" she said nonchalantly. Len nodded in response.

"Hey there, you tired ducks!" the trio turned towards Meiko and Neru, both wearing wide smiles. Len felt his cheeks grow warm; that smile stood so well on Neru's face…

"We found a solution!" cheered the blonde.

Silence filled the room.

"What…?" gasped Miku, eyes wide. She couldn't have heard right.

Meiko's expression faltered.

"Well…I got up this morning, cursing because I was a bit late-"

"By eight hours"

"Shut it, Neru" the blonde grinned. "In any case, I woke up late, and was in a bit of a rush. So I was running around the room, tripped over a magazine, and it opened to this page…" she opened the European magazine she had been reading last night. "My English sucks, but what I understood I told Gumi, Haku and Lily, who are still at Gumi's by the way, and are checking it out!"

The tension dropped.

"Can I read it?" asked Luka. "My English-"

"Is far better than any of ours, we know, Luka" finished the brunette, but she handed her friend the magazine. The taller diva took it with a slight grumble, and started reading. First she seemed slightly disinterested, but the farther she got into the article, the more disbelieving she got.

Everybody was ready to snap at the prolonged silence.

"No way!" she gasped.

"What?" asked Miku, snapping. "Can I see?"

Luka just kept reading, her eyes getting wider by the second. After a few moments, she glanced at Meiko.

"I can't believe this!" she nearly yelled with a wide grin. "You actually found the perfect solution!"

"What is it~!" yelled the others. "Come on, our English sucks!" added the brunette. "All I understand is that there are PlayStation 3s involved!" Luka nodded, and glanced back down at the article.

"Exactly! A few professors at a school in Lausanne-"

"Where?"

"Switzerland"

"Oh"

"Well, a few professors in Switzerland found a fast, quick, and cheap way to make enormous calculations and decode practically anything! And they used PlayStation 3s!"

"Wait…they're using a game for work?" asked Len.

"Yup! They currently have two hundred of those things-"

"TWO HUNDRED?"

"Hey, an American company has taken the same idea, and now has two thousand, but that's not the point" deadpanned Luka, getting irked with being interrupted the whole time. "Anyway, apparently a PlayStation can 'think' very quickly, and can handle a lot of information at a time. So, with enough of those things, they have composed a cheap supercomputer, that works better than most, and less than 15% of the structure breaks per year, instead of the 40 or 50% with a regular supercomputer"

"So…a lot of games make a great computer" resumed Neru, eyes wide, like everybody else.

"Indeed"

A silence filled the room.

"So…how much does one cost?" Luka shrugged.

"40'000 yen" answered Meiko. Everybody glanced at her. "A few hundred dollars at most"

"It's not _that_ expensive…" mumbled Miku, a small smile on her face.

She couldn't believe it! They had a solution, straight from a magazine Meiko just happened to receive.

All her torment could end now!

"Well, doesn't somebody look happy!" teased Luka, grinning as well before pulling her into a hug. Miku smiled widely and melted into her arms.

"Yeah…" she felt at peace, all of a sudden.

This relief wasn't the same kind of relief she felt when Luka survived the fall, or when she knew that her beloved would live on after the surgery. This one wasn't as sudden or brusque, it was more sweet and peace-bringing, for some reason.

"I have a question…" the group stared at Neru. "How much of those thingss do we need?"

* * *

><p>Gumi squealed happily, jumping on her seat.<p>

What Meiko read is true! PlayStations could indeed be used to hack, decode or solve pretty much anything, with an impressive speed at that.

And, with their income rate from the album sales and concert money, they would be able to buy quite a few! Hopefully enough…

While the green-haired girl was silently celebrating in front of the screen, Lily and Haku were twirling around the room in happiness, chanting things like 'it's over, it's over!'.

"This deserves a party~!" cheered Lily, arms locked with her silver-haired friend.

They had been working all night long, not noticing it was already afternoon, before Meiko called them, reminding them of the time and where they should be. But hearing the news she had read as best she could, they could help but research a little more.

And it was true. Games can be used (wasted, by Lily's standards) to solve complicated problems.

But, now Lily was saying that they were going to party, and that made Gumi groan.

"But…"

"I don't care if its night or day…this news makes me want to play!" rhymed Lily. Gumi sweat-dropped.

"That-"

"The world can end right now…but that blog is going down!" she continued.

"The imposter will pay with his life…and we will decorate our walls with his hide!" chanted Haku. Gumi blanched.

"His blood will drop to the ground!"

"And his body will never be found!"

"He will suffer great pain!"

"Because we will beat him with a cane!"

"His body parts are going for a world tour!"

"In pyramids and tombs they will get lost, I assure!"

"His guts will be spewed over the floor!"

"And his arms will be stuffed in a drawer!"

"Ok! I get it!" yelled Gumi, getting a little freaked out.

"Never will our victory dance halt…"

"Not before we fill his skull with salt!"

"You're freaking me out!"

"And scare this little Girl Scout!" finished the singing duo with a cheer.

"Hey!" protested the carrot-lover. "I'm not a Girl Scout!"

"Whatever you say!" cheered Lily. Haku slumped against the wall happily.

"Ah…so much work rewarded feels so good!"

"You can say that!" answered Lily, leaning against the wall next to her.

"Now all we have to do is buy as much of those we can, and we are fine!"

Gumi frowned, seeing a big problem.

Oi, this is going to pop the bubble.

"Um…how do we buy them?" she asked. Lily laughed.

"Well, your bank accounts gotta be full of money, right? All you have to do is…" she trailed off.

"You're not eighteen yet, huh?"

"Nope, we can' access our money until then…" Haku sat up.

"Huh? But that sucks!"

Lily shrugged.

"No big! All we have to do is have some of your money transferred to my account, legally that is, and tadaa!"

Gumi smiled.

"Well, if that's all there is to it, then let's go tell the others!"

* * *

><p>The small group was cheering uncontrollably, running through the halls of Crypton Inc. Gumi, Lily and Haku had joined them, told them the news, and now they were fleeing the work Crypton was pushing on them just to party their hearts out. On the way, Lily and Haku had continued singing rhymes, finding that very amusing.<p>

The crew and their managers had abandoned their chase after them, and the rest of the crowd simply parted at their arrival. Soon enough, they got outside, running over the sidewalks and yelling nonsense.

Miku had never had so much fun in her life. The slight thrill of adrenaline she got at the thought of having run out of work, the unstoppable happiness of the problem of the month being solved, and everything else being perfect, she couldn't feel better.

They ran for about ten minutes, until Meiko came to an abrupt halt.

"Meiko?" asked Kaito, out of breath like the others. Though Meiko seemed to have stopped breathing altogether as she stared down the adjacent street they had just barely passed.

"What is that?" asked Meiko, blanching visibly, looking at the massive thing in front of her. Her finger slowly rose to point at whatever she was seeing. "This can't be…" she gasped, now whiter than a sheet. Kaito joined next to her, still panting. Though when he stood next to her, his breath caught as well, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

"Oh…no"

Miku's curiosity got the best of her, and she joined the dating pair, followed by the tired friends.

"Oh, my" gasped Luka.

Miku could only faint.


	14. Thoughts and Actions

Miku groaned as she tried to open her eyes. Her head felt heavy and her limbs felt numb.

Where was she? What time was it?

She couldn't tell.

"Ah, she's waking up!" the voice belonged to Gumi, and apparently, she was close by. But the sound also seemed so far away…Miku groaned again, trying to sit up.

"Oh, no, you are staying there" shushed a voice that made Miku's spine tingle. Luka was there, too.

But…where was 'there'?

Miku finally managed to open her eyes, and she immediately recognized her bedroom, which she now shared with Luka. She was lying in her bed, and a lot of tall figures were surrounding her. A wet cloth covered her forehead, and she was solidly tucked in the sheets.

"Wha…?" she mumbled, her view still blurry. Luka chuckled slightly, and pet Miku's head.

The waking diva suddenly felt wide awake; her beloved sounded…worried.

What was happening?

Miku tried to remember what she was doing when she was last awake. Meiko had announced a solution, apparently using PS3s for hacking into Crypton, which Luka and Gumi confirmed. They were running through the streets, having fled Crypton and obviously breaking some rules. Then…

Miku sat up brusquely, even more awake than before, tears coming to her eyes.

No…!

The room seemed to explode in noise, Gumi picking up the fallen cloth, Luka trying to get Miku to lie down again, the others babbling nonsense. But Miku couldn't hear any of it; the most she felt was her pounding heart, her aching skull, her warm body and the slight spark where Luka was holding her.

How could…?

Finally some sound pierced her terror-bubble.

"Miku, please rest, you have gotten a big fever…"

"No…" stuttered the diva, tears now rolling over her cheeks. Though, she complied to Luka's worry-filled orders, and rested back down on the pillow.

The room was filled with a heavy silence as Miku tried to cope with the latest disaster.

Meiko sighed heavily and rubbed her head, the weight of the silence getting to her.

Somebody, practically wants Miku's downfall right now. First the blog, and now a humongous billboard. But this was not just any kind of billboard.

On the huge paper display was a picture of Miku in a suggestive stance, not wearing anything at all. Although her back was facing the camera, the over-exposure of the flawless soft skin of her back was still nosebleed-inducing.

Meiko wondered if Miku had ever posed for such a snapshot. But Luka had assured all of them that Miku would never do such a thing. She simply was too…let's say innocent for those things.

It must have been photo-shopped. But…the quality was too good. And the detail…Meiko felt a shiver run up her spine. Not because of the picture itself, but of fear.

What kind of freak was after Miku?

The blog had practically destroyed the singer; though being with her friends made her feel better in a jip. But now, the culprit was piling things up. Despicable words, and now something to prove them.

What was coming next? What has the culprit planned? What does he want Miku to do?

Go away, for sure. The crook is trying to get Miku to step away from the podium and let somebody else replace her. Or was this person trying to get close to Luka? After all, no threats have been made towards her.

Meiko nearly jumped out of her skin when Lily entered the room, a worried expression on her face. The blonde beckoned her and a few others to come over. The brunette complied, and walked over to her with heavy steps, closely followed by the twins, Haku, Neru and Gumi. Lily inhaled deeply.

"I have bad news…" she whispered, though it sounded like a yell. A choking sound came from the bed. Meiko shook her head and pushed the group outside of the room, to spare Miku from more worries.

"Go on" she ordered when the door was closed behind them.

"Well…the billboard. There are dozens of them throughout the city" a wave of shock hit the listening group.

"How?" demanded Gumi.

"I don't know…Crypton has no idea of it, yet the owner of that picture has connections…"

"Besides that?" Rin didn't want to hear of this anymore.

"Well…you know we were going to put your money in my account, so that we could buy as many PlayStations as we need" the group nodded. Meiko could sense more trouble coming up. "My account is completely frozen. I can't access anything, not a penny of it. For now, I have to depend on cash only"

"Dammit!" yelled Meiko, punching a wall. The others looked at her, worried.

She has had it. This criminal was too perfect, too wise. This was surreal; it looked as if this was coming from a cheesy movie. And yet, nothing has ever felt more real.

Why were they all so taken down by this? They weren't being attacked, only poor Miku. So why did it seem to hurt directly, as if it was all being thrown directly in their faces?

She had no idea, but this had to stop.

This perfect crime had to stop, right now.

* * *

><p>Gakupo looked up, hearing Meiko's scream of frustration. She actually swore, for the second time in her life.<p>

But that wasn't what was worrying him.

What made her scream like that? What _other _problem has been added to their list? What new thing is going to stomp on their poor friend?

Despite what many could believe, he wasn't the slightest bit happy with what was happening to Miku. Some may think that he might feel a little happy, that his enemy in love is being tortured.

But no. He feels only bitter hate towards the person doing all this.

The door opened, pulling him out of his thoughts. He, as well as Kaito and Luka were called over to the discussion, but Luka merely sat next to her beloved, not moving the slightest. Nevertheless the two boys walked over, and the door closed behind them.

"What is it?" asked the blue-haired boy. Gumi growled.

"Our hopes in purchasing even one PlayStation are crushed" Gakupo swore.

"Seriously? How?"

"Everything is being frozen. Crypton's whole website, not just the blog, and now our bank accounts. Money comes in, but nothing comes out" mumbled Haku, who was sitting against the wall.

"I am so happy that I took a few thousand dollars of cash out yesterday" mumbled Lily. "But I need that dough. Who knows how long my money will be inaccessible?"

Gakupo didn't see much problem in this.

"Well…we could do a fundraiser…" he suddenly regretted his words as eight pairs of eyes landed on him.

"A fundraiser" deadpanned Meiko. "With what money, idiot?" Gakupo shrugged.

"Well…we can do the fundraiser at a stage where Miku has already performed, singing unpublished songs to express how we feel with all this, and with the money, solve the problem, hoping that the billboards come down as well. And, when all that is done and the case is closed, we can re-pay the stage owner" Rin smiled slightly.

"That isn't a bad idea at all!" the others nodded.

"But how many stage owners will agree to organize a last-minute concert with only a certain amount of hopes of being paid? I mean, we won't be doing this in the name of Crypton. We can't trust it right now"

"I bet we can ask nicely" mumbled Len. Meiko sighed loudly.

"It's worth a shot."

* * *

><p>Miku felt feverish, completely lost.<p>

Why…why? Why do so many people want her gone all of a sudden?

It all started when she met Luka, that much was obvious. Ever since that contest, Dorian had wanted them gone for family glory. And now that that is finally over, somebody else wants her to flee the music industry.

Why?

What has she done? How many people has she hurt? What deity did she anger to deserve so much mental torture?

The girl could barely take notice of anything around her. Only blurred colors were perceived, and the soft outline of the girl who was watching over her. She couldn't feel the soft mattress of the clean sheets, only the warm, slightly electric feeling of Luka's hand running through her hair.

Where would she be now, if Luka hadn't been there at all?

First of all, Len would have won the contest. Miku wasn't sure from then on, but she felt that she wouldn't have let him take first place in the charts. But then, Dorian wouldn't be attacking her, but she would still be slightly lonely. Unless if Len decided to befriend her.

But…Len was egotistical before he met Neru. Without the need to eliminate Luka and herself, he wouldn't have transferred to their school, and would have never met Neru. He would then keep trying for fame, to get to the top, and Miku wouldn't let him. Either because he would have been acting like a jerk or he just wouldn't make the cut.

Then, Dorian would start attacking her. The field trip would have passed by then, so the whole cliff and forest story would have never happened at all. But, every day she would have to suffer from his presence.

Without Luka being there, she would have left within the week.

And then what? She might have gotten another job, somewhere else.

Would she have been happy? Would she have met somebody else who made her heart fly?

One thing was certain; if Luka had never been there, none of this would have ever happened.

Still, Miku decided that this version of her life was far better.

Miku sighed, suddenly feeling that this emotional pain was getting less. Yes, this was much better than never knowing Luka, or any of her other new friends.

Miku remembered all the moments she had been through with her dear companion. When they first new each other, they were almost enemies. Miku smiled softly remembering the evening Luka found everything out. The look of uncertainty was so cute on her face, she realized now.

Miku remembered their attempts at keeping their friendship secret, all the slightly difficult efforts they made. She remembered the contest, how she was blown away when she first heard Luka's lovely singing voice. Then the stupid history paper; the thing that uncovered their secret. Miku hummed, recalling the first time she had ever shared a hug, a real hug with the tuna-loving diva.

The camp was also filled with fond memories. She had just finished writing Love is War, and World's End Dancehall. The first having been written for her dear Luka. She didn't know right then where those feelings came from, but she discovered soon.

The pill made her chuckle. Ah, those pills. She had thrown them away some time ago, not needing them anymore. What a relief that was. But, those pesky things caused the first more or less intimate action between the two. And also the mini-concert they held…their first kiss. Albeit unintentional, it was nevertheless magical. According to Neru, it had lasted two minutes. Two minutes of them just standing there in pure shock, staring into the other's eyes.

Ah…and when Luka discovered that she was holding secrets from her. Luka had been so distraught, just from learning that Miku had been hiding something from her. She didn't feel she was good enough for the tealette in consequence. And that was right before their plummet to hell.

Miku shivered, remembering that cold forest. Those cold days she spent completely alone. She was so happy Luka woke up, and set a goal for herself.

Though Luka had been paralyzed, she quickly got better; scared off Dorian who was now in New York, and had moved in with Miku.

So much has happened, everything getting crazier by the chapter.

Miku wondered with a smile what was going to come next.

The smaller girl opened her eyes when Luka stroked her cheek. She hummed a little, closing her eyes again, completely content all of a sudden. Luka soon joined her humming. It was the melody from World's End Dancehall, their first duet. Even when Magnet described their feelings for each other in the most beautiful way they could think of, their first duet still held a somewhat greater place in their hearts. It was the first thing they did together.

"You seem so happy…" whispered Luka. Her voice has lost its worry. Miku nuzzled into the hand that held her cheek.

"I am…" she answered, kissing her palm slightly. "I'm just so happy I'm here with you…" Luka chuckled.

"I'm happy you're smiling…"

* * *

><p>Neru raced into her house, Len following closely.<p>

"Wait up, Neru!" he called. The blonde girl smirked.

"Don't have time for that, darling! We got a fundraiser to organize!" she answered slightly mockingly. Though the tone wasn't hidden in her voice, Len still blushed a little.

Neru's thoughts were rushing.

Did they have time for a fundraiser? First of all, they needed to plan an interview someday. It was on their to-do list for weeks already, and they've stalled enough. That was short and fast to get rid of, so that went first.

Then, they still had to finish the songs they were already writing. They would be finished in a few days, and depending on their success; might require a photo-shoot, a music video, or another interview.

The total could take a full two weeks.

But the fundraiser needed to be as soon as possible. Once the site was down, they would be able to track down the hacker using the same way he destroyed them. They would confront him, and demand justice. Then the whole story will be over, and they can continue their happy lives.

But when, where, how?

First of all, a stage. A big, open stage that can welcome a big enough crowd. Not everyone will believe them, so the biggest number to hear them the better. Plus, they needed to be paid in cash.

That would be harder, seeing that the entire world is revolving around credit these days.

Second, they needed songs. When would they have the time to write them? It would have to be done overnight, and after that, the composing and all would take twice as long. But where were they supposed to get the music? They'd have to wait and see.

Neru quickly finished the text she sent Luka, explaining their plans and how they were going to proceed. The pink-haired girl wouldn't leave Miku alone for all the gold in the world.

The blonde entered her house, greeted her mother who was sleeping on the couch, and rushed to her room. She heard Len do the same, though he closed the door before following her. When he reached her room, he shut that door as well and slumped to the floor. Neru was simply texting, and surfing the internet to see which stages they could possibly use.

"Neru…please…next time, walk…." The boy puffed. Neru rolled her eyes as she sat down on the bed.

"Sorry, but we have a lot to do and so little time…" she answered, her cell beeping incessantly.

"Ok…I'll go write my song…" he mumbled. Neru raised an eyebrow.

"Which one?" Len smiled.

"Well… I need Rin for writing 'Butterfly on your Right Shoulder', seeing how it's our duet…so I'll write the one I'll sing at the fundraiser" Neru smiled.

"Ok…I still need to figure mine out…" she wasn't writing anything for Crypton at the moment, so for her this was slightly easier. Well, if one didn't count all the texting she had to do as well.

She wasn't really that much into Crypton and singing as the others, she felt. Although she had great fun during the concert, she couldn't compose easily. The others had a certain knack for it, and she couldn't seem to find her inspiration. Maybe she would be the same kind of singer as Lily; famous but lazy. Or a part-time singer…

Her phone beeped, and she quickly minimized the internet window on her phone and opened the text, it was a reply from Luka.

_Nice idea from Gakupo! I'll get to writing right now; Miku's asleep, so we can make it a surprise for her!_

_Good luck!_

_Oh, when she wakes, I'll ask her if she knows any places where we can do that fundraiser._

Neru nodded, and re-opened the internet page.

The following days were going to be tiring…

Meanwhile, Len was sitting at Neru's desk, nibbling at the end of his pencil.

When he put his mind to it, he would go through a lot to accomplish what he wanted. Past events proved that…he shivered.

Now, he was doing his best to interpret his thoughts and feelings into a song. It had to be…tragic. Yet, Miku was smiling, and these events seemed to be contradictory, so the melody had to be light, and captivating. Maybe some wind instruments, and strings…

He dotted down the melody on the lined paper. It came to him easily, contrary to his sister, who was a master at writing lyrics, she could freestyle rap anytime of the day, or night, and can make any sentence sound like words spoken by a golden-tongued god. But, she had no idea how to create the rhythm or melody. Opposite sides of the musical coin, so to speak.

He wrote more lines and dots, erasing every now and then, while Neru clicked away on her phone.

He couldn't help but feel a bit envious of Miku and Luka. Those two shared a strong bond, that much was evident. Even if they weren't able to do something romantic lately because of recent happenings, they were always close. But he and Neru…even if they were dating; it didn't go much farther than holding hands. Again, it might be because of the atmosphere the blog created and all, but it has been a few months.

At first, the forest had been torturing him. He was so incredibly guilty about Luka and Miku's deaths, and Neru was the only one who seemed to cast a light in his dark world. Soon, he asked her out, and she accepted on-the-spot.

When the two divas stumbled out of those woods, he felt so much guilt lifted off his shoulders. Plus, he still had Neru, which was a win-win situation. And she protected him, too. Even when Luka was ready to grab a tuna she kept with her at all times lately, Neru was right next to him.

With this, he was wondering if he even deserved such a great girl. Ok, sometimes she was cold, or blunt in almost a painful way. But during the forest era, he had seen a different light of her. A much softer side he is sure not many have seen, not even Haku. She really was a great girl, who cared for everybody around her. And what was he?

A self-centered boy, who nearly murdered two super-divas. Sure, he had loosened up during the forest thing, but, deep down, he still felt the same want, the same need.

Was he still the horrible monster he once was?

"Neru?" he was timid, uncertain after speaking the name. What was he going to say?

"Yes?" he didn't want to back down saying that there was nothing. He would be lying, and he didn't want to return to his old self.

"What am I to you?" his throat clenched as the beeping from the small communication device halted. Neru didn't answer. She didn't want to hurt him by saying something stupid, so she put some thought into her response.

"A good person, Len. Not the person you fear of being" she answered honestly. Len looked up from his papers, a bit surprised.

"How-?"

"I can read your face, Len. You have been worrying about that every time you're not doing something else" she looked up at him from her position on her bed. The blonde boy was confused. She smiled reassuringly, an expression she didn't let many see. "Len…you regret having caused Luka and Miku harm. That is enough to prove you aren't heartless"

She slowly got up, and took a seat next to him by her desk, pocketing her phone.

"You're helping, that's even more proof. You don't have to worry about that anymore" Len nodded slightly, looking down at the papers in front of him. Something was still gnawing at his mind.

"It's just…" he sighed, slumping down to rest his head on his elbow. "I still have feelings I'm scared of…feelings that…" Neru rested a hand on his shoulder, silencing him.

"Len, everyone has feelings. Good and bad. I get mad, and jealous, too. Just because of that doesn't mean I'll be planning world domination tomorrow" Len looked up and smiled weakly.

"Thanks, Neru…"

The blonde girl held back a frown; something was still wrong.

What could it be? Usually Len is so easy to read. She appreciated that fact, not so that she can spy into his inner feelings, but so that she would be able to help as best as she could when he finally decided he was ready to open up to her.

But now, she faced a sort of dead-end. She knew his own feelings were troubling him and the past as well, and still is deep down, but what else could be worrying him?

"What is it?" she asked, bluntly. Not knowing made her feel even more worried for the blonde boy. Len's smile stretched a little further across his face.

"I'm so happy...you're here with me…" he whispered, not knowing what else to say. Neru simply smiled in understanding, and leaned forward to capture his lips.

* * *

><p>Kaito stepped out of the locker room, ready to rush home.<p>

Exactly a day ago, Miku fainted from the billboard (which he still couldn't look at without immediately picturing an incredibly hot scene with Miku and Luka…) and Gakupo had gotten the idea for the fundraiser. Neru had sorted it all out, and told them all the work they had to do.

Neru was still working on the stage, and Miku was proposing quite a few, taking all this much better than any had hoped, but those busy men are still needed to answer their pleas.

Meanwhile, everybody was busy with their own stuff. Kaito needed to find time to meet up with Gakupo between jobs so that they could finish their duet, which they finally decided to call 'Under the Darkness'. Kaito had already drafted a song for the fundraiser, but it was far from finished. Gakupo hadn't even gotten a chance to start his own yet.

Meiko, Neru, Gumi, Lily and Haku were all slightly less busy than the others, seeing that they didn't have anything to do for Crypton yet. The fundraiser was all that was on their minds.

Though, those girls were extremely busy helping Rin. She needed to clean out the storage room from her house to house as much PlayStation 3s as possible. Poor Rin…she needed to move, write two songs as quickly as possible, and hack into Crypton…what wasn't she doing? Len had already had proposed to her that she didn't need to write a second song, simply because it was so much work, but she refused to step down in the slightest.

Lily, though, was being held up by something. She seemed slightly troubled by something, and Kaito personally hoped she was going to be ok. Once, she came with a bruise on her forearm, and she said that she had fallen. But Kaito didn't buy it, the bruise was simply too focused.

Maybe he should become a doctor…

"Hey, Kaito!" greeted Meiko with a cheer. Kaito smiled, and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

"Hey, Meiko. How's the whole thing going?" Meiko grinned.

"My song? Haven't even picked up the paper. Though Rin's room is looking pretty good! The storage room is emptying considerably. And guess what? Some things are almost brand-new, so they'll sell them, and get us more money!" Kaito laughed.

"That's great!"

"So, where are you going now?"

"To Gakupo's, we need to finish our duet…" Meiko blew a raspberry.

"Agh…just when we get in Crypton, it starts being a bother rather than a dream…"

"That's business"

"No, that's jump-roping life…" she muttered. He chuckled.

"Sorry, but I really need to go, I also have to write something-"

"Yeah, I know! Just run along!" she called, already heading to the locker room to get changed. For once, she was on time for her shift…

Speaking of shifts, and their jobs, Kaito and Meiko were keeping track of everything that they were getting. They didn't need that money for the moment, so they gave the numbers to Gumi.

Gumi had just become their little secretary. She kept track of all the funds they had, and calculated how many consoles they could buy with that. For now, looking at the jobs Meiko and Kaito were having the pleasure of keeping, and the estimated value of Rin's junk, they were up to one and a half consoles. It wasn't that bad for a start.

Kaito chuckled as he watched the brunette disappear.

Things have been changing quickly.

* * *

><p>Gakupo sighed, tapping the pencil on the table to a rhythm. It was the one of 'Under the Darkness', even if they hadn't set the notes on paper yet. The lyrics were pretty much already done, but they still needed to get the whole composing part under their knees. It was difficult for the two boys, seeing that they have just started their singing careers.<p>

He wondered what everybody was doing. Miku was probably sobbing, sleeping, bathing or eating, depending. She was in quite a good mood that morning, so she should be living just a little. Luka was at her side, as she always is. Probably missing the physical attention, but for the moment, that couldn't be granted.

Gakupo blushed slightly at such thoughts, but continued his mental inspection.

Haku…who knows what she was doing at this point. Either helping Rin, Lily, Meiko, or composing something. Meiko was at her job right now, so she must be with Rin. Lily must also be helping the smaller blonde.

Len was with Neru, as always, composing or searching for a stage.

Gumi was searching for the cheapest PlayStations possible, keeping a bookmark on every new best site. Every now and then she sent everybody a message to keep them on track with her progress.

Kaito was probably on his way here, to help him finish this song.

Gakupo didn't know where or how he possibly composed his first song. Right now it seemed impossible to do, either because it was a duet and he simply wasn't ready for it, or inspiration had just killed itself on him.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Gakupo winced when his mother called for him to open the door; he heard the bell!

He wasn't a kid anymore, geez…

* * *

><p>Haku huffed and put the heavy box down. With an exhausted sigh she leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath.<p>

The silver-haired girl hummed a little, watching the others haul their boxes to the labeled places. It looked like somebody was either moving in or out; in any case it was a mess.

She smiled with the tune, observing slightly how her friends moved and bended. She wasn't a pervert or anything, she just liked to see how everything was put together, and how whatever surrounded would react.

Before she and Neru really teamed up with Miku and Luka, they had been a little cut off from social connections with the rest of the school. Neru preferred to text during those times, leaving Haku with normally, little to nothing to do. So…she watched, much like Miku watched everything around her at that time.

She saw how boys reacted to different insults and compliments; how students responded to a teacher's announcement. It was all very interesting and complicated, and it was also something she didn't share with anybody. Even Neru didn't know of her secret observations.

She also drew. It was a secret hobby of hers'. She liked to draw pretty much anything; flowers and people, rocks and animals, living and immobile. But she didn't want to show it to anybody. To her, her drawings were an opinion; this was how she saw this or that, and she was scared of offending somebody who thought that the drawings were something else. Also, she just wanted to keep a secret. It was a bit exiting, to know something somebody else didn't.

Sure, she had this whole mysterious aura around her, but in reality she was just really timid and didn't talk much. Though she could give quite a yell, she preferred a quiet talk over a cup of tea, or just the cup of tea.

Lily sighed, putting her hands behind her back and leaning backwards with a groan.

Haku didn't know what to think of this newer addition of the group. Lily, the lazy worker, the all-time partier, and still one of the most committed people she had ever seen. She sure was something interesting.

Miku was somebody determined and a hard worker, but also charming, modest and funny, who liked doing what she did. She would do anything to make as many people smile as possible, whether it be singing or leaving...or saving somebody's life.

Luka was calmer, though once she was kicked in the right mode, was either a furious wildfire or the best joker ever. She took work and life itself seriously, but never missed out on a good party, may there be an hour of homework on the line or not. But if others were at stake, she did anything to make everything alright.

Kaito was a bit of a fool, his brain probably frostbitten from all the ice-cream he snacked on. A little lazy and a fun-lover, he preferred sleeping and eating above everything else.

Meiko…was probably one of the biggest jokers of the group. She laughed and danced, and whenever she worked, she was always listening to something else or just writing down something completely random. But don't take her for an idiot, and Haku once thought she was; once she was either insulted, or her freedom was put at stake, she would do pretty much anything.

Gakupo was a big slip-of-the-mouth, distracted and caring. Although somewhat clumsy, he always did his best, and that was what counted.

Len; he was the determined, head-in-the-game, get-what-I-want side of the twins. Rin; she was the determined, easily-distracted-by-oranges-and-big-moving-things , make-sure-others-are-happy side of the twins.

Gumi was a bit of a messy, but cheery person. She knew a whole lot about different kinds of books and movies, and was also quite a sporty person. She liked anything that was either orange or every color of the rainbow, and she could easily be distracted with small, cute objects.

Neru was mostly a text-er and troll, liked to get information out of people through manipulation, but was still nice in her own, honest and blunt way.

This is what Haku was able to observe from the people surrounding her. Every day she learned something new, and noted it down in the corner of her mind.

She knew that by knowing all of this, she could be a number-one suspect for all the crimes happening. All she needed was a web-cam-less supercomputer and there she has it; crime solved. Being an artist, she could have easily painted that billboard and have it posted all around the world. She knew that if anybody found her work, and knew how much she observed others, that she would immediately be seen differently by her new friends.

Haku's mind couldn't place who could possibly be the real suspect, though. Nobody she knew was capable of doing it, or had an alibi. There was only one character they have met, that could have done this.

That strange Doctor Phillipmeisten. He appeared on day at their school, and then gone again. Just…vanished. He didn't even come when Miku and Luka were announced alive and well. One day, he was there, the next he wasn't.

He could make the perfect suspect. They all knew little about him, yet he knew a bunch about Miku. His sister was her nana! But why would he want her dead?

In fact, his appearing only when she was declared deceased is puzzling. Why didn't he come sooner to help?

"What' cha thinking about?" Haku jumped at the sudden question. She turned to see the blonde, who was seated next to her and has probably been looking at her for a moment. Lily was wearing long-sleeve shirts today, which puzzled the silver-haired girl a little.

"N-nothing…" mumbled Haku, stuttering the slightest bit. Lily chuckled.

"Come on, with such a face, you couldn't have been thinking about nothing!" Haku nodded with a sigh, feeling slightly uneasy.

"Well…I was thinking about the whole blog thing, and who could have done it…" she answered, sounding a little like a child. Lily shrugged, though her face gained a scowl.

"Well…I can't find much time to analyze the suspects myself. I finally managed to talk to my manager, and since a lot has been happening…" Haku's eyes lit up.

"Wait…your manager? The guy who doesn't like you because-"

"Because I'm bi? Yeah, him. I talked to him, and we came to some sort of an agreement…but it isn't that much better than before…"

"Really?"

"Yeah…he said he would try to look past my…flaw, as he called it, but in exchange I should have the least contact possible with him" Haku was slightly puzzled.

"I thought-"

"I need him right now, Haku. To find out what happened to my bank account. Also, because of that, I'll publish even less songs. He won't answer my calls, and now he's…on some sort of vacation"

"Oh…"

"So? Who do you think it might be?" Haku nearly jumped at the sudden change of tone. Though she collected her thoughts and managed to give a straight answer.

"Well…I'm thinking of this doctor who visited us when Miku and Luka were 'dead'" Haku then explained everything in résumé; who he was, and what connection he had with the diva. Lily nodded.

"He might be capable of this. But…didn't he say he lived far away?" Haku nodded.

"That could explain the hard-to-retrieve IP address-" Lilly shook her head.

"Nah, internet and stuff like that don't work that way…but how would he have such a huge influence on Crypton?"

"One could ask the same question for anyone else" the blonde sighed, seeing her point.

"Right…Well, that's suspect number one!"

* * *

><p>Gumi read the next message from Rin. More stuff to sell was on the list, so she quickly got up from the floor to her computer to enter the numbers. Not much of a change, but they were getting there…<p>

She then went back to the floor, next to her piece of paper. She was composing a song for the fundraiser, like many others were probably doing right now.

She nibbled on her pencil, her forehead gaining a crease. She didn't have a natural gift for composing; it took her a week to write the one for school! She could barely dot down a line, or come up with an original melody. It seemed as if all the others were already taken…

With a frustrated growl, she turned the paper over. For some reason, an empty page seemed just as discouraging as a page filled with scribbles.

With a discontented sigh, she got up and returned to her seat in front of the screen. The blog was going to update right about now, so as long as she isn't reading, she could just as well try to find some errors…

Sure enough, the blog had updated.

With a tired groan, she picked up another paper and pencil, and scrolled down the page as she read.

Such dirty words didn't affect her as much as they did the others; there was a reason she volunteered to do this job. She…was used to them, it seemed.

Trying to ban horrible memories from her mind, she continued reading. Though her thoughts were drifting away.

How lucky she was, to know such wonderful people. Before, she wouldn't have been able to dream for this kind of present.

For just a moment, she decided to let her shoulders drop. Keeping such a happy face up was so tiring, especially when her heart wasn't in it.

She thought of all the people she knew, and she knew only, that could do all this.

The others were surprised about how perfectly this guy was pulling this crime off, but Gumi wasn't fazed. She knew at least a dozen men who could do this in a day. Well, if Crypton wasn't so hard to crack.

But, for the moment, she couldn't place who could have done this, or could have found a good enough reason for one of them to do this. And, this guy was after Miku, not her.

She scrolled down some more, her mind getting back in the game somewhat. Find errors, compose, do fundraiser, buy PS3s, bust blog, free Lily's account, and catch guy.

Why did that sound so easy to her?

* * *

><p>Miku sat on her bed, not really feeling anything at the moment. She didn't know where everybody was, or what they were doing, but she was sure they were helping her. They were being so kind…<p>

With a small smile, she sipped her tea. This guy can throw whatever he wants at her face, she knew that he was going down.

The only thing that was puzzling her for the moment was that Luka wanted her to rest, and nothing else. Miku felt she was ready enough to try and help with anything. But Luka refused to let her even get out of bed.

Miku could tell Luka was a little frustrated. Not only because of recent happenings, but also because a familiar tension was building back up; coming back. Not only did it bring back some strange feeling of nostalgia, but it also made communication between them difficult. It reminded Miku of the time Luka was in her chair; they wanted to do so much, but they couldn't. Well, in this case, Luka wasn't handicapped, she simply refused. Miku thought it was because the taller girl felt that she would be pressuring her more, but Miku just wanted to hug and kiss a little. Luka refused that too, and it hurt. She knew she was only doing what she thought was best, but sadly it was only hurting slightly more.

Nevertheless, Miku was content with just staying at her beloved's side.

An opening door startled Miku slightly. It wasn't her bedroom door, it was the front door. Who could be here?

She smiled as she recognized Lily's voice, and well as Rin and Haku's. She got up to greet them, but stopped when she heard them whisper.

She could barely make out what they were saying, but heard a few words through the wooden door. Apparently, they were working on something, and something was 'ready', and that they would 'go' soon. 'Neru', Miku could hear her name, had 'found' something, and they were all 'going' in a week.

Miku was puzzled.

What was happening?

* * *

><p>"So, how are things?" whispered Luka. Miku was on the other side of the door, and she wanted to surprise her. The only thing they had asked were the past stages she had performed on, but that was it. Miku was still unaware of everything that was happening.<p>

"Well, the room is ready, and we can go get the PlayStations whenever we want" whispered Lily, catching on.

"Neru found a stage, close by, in the heart of the city" whispered the silver-haired girl.

"We will be going onstage in a week!" squealed Rin. Luka smiled; this was going to be their second performance, well, if one didn't count Lily.

"And the songs?"

"I need help, and to help, Len for our songs…" whispered Rin.

"Mine is ready" stated the taller blonde. "I worked on it overnight" Haku scratched the back of her head.

"Well…mine still needs some work"

"And the others?"

"Kaito and Gakupo are working on their duet for Crypton, but Gakupo has found plenty of time to work on his solo…" Rin scrolled down the messages on her phone. "Meiko is doing her best, between jobs and free time, Neru still hasn't started, and Gumi is frustratingly stuck" listed the twin. Luka sighed.

"Well, it's good, but they need to work on that!"

"Well, we aren't all professional composers!" whispered Rin, still trying to stay quiet. Luka nodded in understanding.

"And the music?"

"Neru got a deal with Maxim, her manager. Recording booths 16 and 17 will be open for us every afternoon"

"Good…well, we only want music, so we won't be saving anything there" the others nodded.

"So...anything I can do?" asked the tuna-loving diva. Lily shrugged.

"I bet your song is completely finished"

"It is, actually"

"Well…you can help us!"

"Ok, call everybody; ask if they can come over"

* * *

><p>Miku was still listening at the door, but only managed to catch one or two words from the bunch.<p>

They were working on something 'overnight', she had heard, but something needed work…and there were professionals involved.

More and more words were added to the bunch, and she couldn't help but feel very confused and slightly afraid.

What were they doing?

* * *

><p>Neru grinned widely. It was settled. Some guy who had a grandfather; who had a brother; who had a step-son; who had a cousin; knew a guy who had a small stage, with enough room for a few hundred people to attend. Well, when they said small, then it was for their standards. It was for the newer singer an impressive place, from what they could see from the pictures. Well, this friend's far-away relative's friend was ok with letting them use the stage, and for free, at that! All the money for the tickets would be for them, meaning more PlayStations.<p>

She looked around her deserted room. Len was at home helping Rin with her song, and finishing their duet for Crypton.

Now…she needed a song. Fast. Tomorrow the first recordings were happening, and she didn't have anything to sing at all.

With a sigh she got off her bed and headed for the desk. She picked a fresh piece of paper, took a pencil, and stared. She had no idea where to start, at all.

With a sigh, she started randomly humming, trying to listen what sounds right. The moments that she caught herself humming another song weren't rare.

The blonde growled in frustration, seeing her digital clock indicate that yet another minute had passed.

How do the others do it? How do they convey their feelings in a tune?

Humming, she started writing whatever she thought was right. Huh, who would've thought that she was writing something catchy?

* * *

><p>"Luka, where are you going?" asked a slightly worried Miku. The taller singer was putting on a coat, thinking that Miku was asleep. It was around one in the afternoon, and Miku couldn't remember that they had anything planned today.<p>

Well…of course, they had songs to finish at Crypton. Steve and their managers weren't happy with their escapade a few days ago, but with the appearance of the billboards, they couldn't help but give them another vacation. Miku was surprised that they were this flexible. Maybe the blog was giving them enough publicity for them to last.

Luka froze, and mumbled something under her breath. She turned towards her companion.

"Sorry, but I promised to meet somebody right now. I'll be back in about two hours, ok?" Miku swallowed difficultly.

What was she doing?

"Who?"

"The others…Kaito, Meiko, Gakupo-"

"Why?" Luka didn't answer at first, and seemed to be thinking about the answer. Miku felt like another pound was being added to her stomach with every passing second.

"Well…I can't tell you now" she finally admitted. Miku's forehead creased with curiosity, worry and a bit of jealousy.

"Will I ever know?" Luka smiled at this.

"Yes, you will"

"When?"

"In a week, Saturday night"

Miku froze with this answer. It was planned?

For some reason that element made her fear the answer, and she simply accepted the good-bye kiss as Luka left the small house.

Miku didn't know what to do anymore. What good was it to stay calm if the only anchors she had were also keeping secrets?

For the first time in a few days, another tear rolled down her cheek.

* * *

><p>Rin sighed loudly, stepping out of the recording room. Len replaced her as she went to sit by the others.<p>

She still held a little fright from the intimidating recording room, but she managed to quench the queasy feeling. Besides, they were only looking for the best music possible, nothing was being saved at the moment.

She had finished her song along with Len's the previous evening, and were now finishing their part of the job. Once Len was finished, they would have to join Usui, to finish their duet.

She looked over at Luka, who seemed a little worried. She wanted to be done as soon as possible, so that she could get home. Apparently Miku was getting worried about their secrets. Even with some last-minute comforting, Miku didn't seem to like the excuses.

Maybe making it a surprise wasn't the best idea.

Kaito, Neru, and Lily still needed to record, while the others needed to finish their songs. Gakupo, Meiko, Gumi, and Haku were actually were doing that now, with a little help from Luka and Lily; who seemed to have a real talent for it, once she got her head in the game.

Rin tilted her head, changing the music slightly. They had learned the basics of the control panel, so now they were able to (though with a little difficulty) put in music by themselves. But being amateurs, the work was slow.

Len nodded; liking the new mix she had put in, and restarted singing. Rin heard a sigh next to her.

"So…what's your song called?" Rin turned towards Meiko, who was holding paper on her hand.

"Uh…'Fate of Soul'" she stammered, a little shocked by her sudden appearance. Meiko nodded.

"I still need a title for my song…I finished it right now, so that's one thing off my back…" she wrote down Rin's song on a piece of paper. "Gumi needs a list of the songs; so that we can make a program, etc…" Rin nodded, still mostly listening to her brother. She heard Meiko chuckle slightly, mumbling something about never having done so much work for a school assignment.

"Is Len almost finished?" asked a slightly impatient Luka. Rin shook her head.

"No, we still need to give the music more…body" answered the blonde. She heard the taller singer sigh.

"I need to get back to Miku in an hour; she's surely getting worried…"

"Don't worry about her, she will pull through! I mean, look at everything you two have already done!" reassured the brunette, as she chewed on the end of her pencil. It seemed as if the whole group has gained that habit lately. Apparently she was still pondering about the name of her song. Luka smiled.

"Thanks…but I still worry" Rin pushed another experimental button, wincing as an echo effect took hold of Len's voice. Turning a knob, the effect increased. She liked it, but it didn't fit the song, she thought. Well, maybe in a small quantity…"I wonder what she's doing right now" Rin shrugged, still thinking.

"I don't know…maybe composing, maybe sleeping, maybe thinking" answered Meiko. "That's pretty much all she does lately…" Luka sighed again.

"I really feel I should go home…" Meiko smiled.

"Then go! If that's what you feel is right, then just go. We'll finish our songs, and you can come tomorrow to finish yours!" Luka smiled, and with a word of thanks, left the recording booth.

The taller girl didn't take five steps before running into her manager.

"Luka! What are you doing here? How is Miku?" he asked, surprised and worried. Luka smiled.

"Well…Miku is better than I thought she would be after all that…" the small man ignored the fact that his first question was ignored.

"Are you finished with your song 'Blackjack'?"

"Yes, but I can't finish recording it right now, I need to head home" the man nodded, and with a word of farewell, started down the corridor. Luka left in the opposite direction, and out of the building.

* * *

><p>Miku heard the door open, and quickly grabbed for another tissue. Since Luka had left, she wasn't able to stop her tears.<p>

Luka and her friends were the only thing she could count on right now. They were what made her days' worth smiling at. But…

She couldn't help but start to feel frightened. They were keeping secrets from her; talking behind her back. And the words she had heard made her feel something she never wished to.

She was suspicious that her own friends might be behind all this. After all, everything fit. They were in Crypton, and Rin could be faking her failures to get in the system. All the help must either be a lie, or reinforcement to the lies.

And because of all this, she was living a fake life, a life filled with lies, just as she had been trying to avoid since the beginning.

So…is this, really all happening because she met Luka? Is her beloved really the cause of all this?

It all fit…but she didn't want it to be true. At first she doubted her fears, but the more she thought about them, the more they haunted her.

She broke into a fit of tears once again, having completely forgotten that Luka had just come home, drowned in her fears. When she felt two protective arms wrap around her within seconds, the sobbing girl couldn't help the tingle that ran down her spine and the weight that dropped in her gut.

Was the only thing she had worth living for, the very being she had risked her life for, really stabbing her in the back? Was she really daring to doubt her beloved?

She was feeling so much fear and doubt, she didn't know which way was up and which was down. Her world was a spinning mess.

Miku wrapped her arms around the form holding her up, keeping her awake. Immediately she started sobbing in her shoulder, not knowing what to feel.

Relief, because Luka had really come back? Fear, for the same reason?

Nothing made sense.

A quiet shushing reached her ears, but she couldn't find it in her to comply. Her lungs couldn't figure out if they should inhale or exhale and hiccups were shaking her fragile frame.

Shaking, almost spasming, she held tighter to the supporting person holding her. The scared teen tried forming words, but they drowned in her choking throat. She wanted to tell her beloved how much she needed her, how much she wouldn't be able to handle any more time alone, how she couldn't bare the secrets, the lies. But all these desires were strangled in her constricted chest.

"P-please…!" she managed, choking on the air that finally managed to break free. "I-…"

She felt Luka start to rub her back, always managing to pass over that special spot that made her feel so much better. Luka knew her from head to toe now, and always managed to comfort her.

Miku needed her more than ever, right now. Not in a sexual way, but she needed her just to be there, to hold her up, to reassure her that nothing was going awry with her life.

She felt Luka's arms tighten around her, never ceasing the comforting rubbing down her spine. The girl melted in the embrace, though her sobs persisted, fear gnawing at her consciousness.

'Please don't leave me' was the only thought that kept ringing through the tealette's head. She had never thought that those old, cliché words have ever had such meaning.

* * *

><p>Gumi punched in the digits furiously, sitting in front of her computer. Neru, Meiko and the twins were with her, and all were jumping with excitement.<p>

Two days have passed since the first recording. Everybody was done with their songs, and now they were tying up the loose ends.

"Ok…the program is done!" she declared.

"We need tickets and advertisement"

"I asked Crypton, they won't print it"

"Those jars"

"We can get them printed elsewhere"

"Where?"

"Let me figure it out!"

"Well, I'll design a poster we can…print"

"Dangit!"

"What?"

"No Wi-Fi! How the hell do you live, Gumi?"

"Well excuse me, princess!"

"Gumi!"

"What?"

"Don't use that tone on my girlfriend!"

"Well, excuse me...princess!"

"Hey!"

"Guys!"

"What?"

"Focus, please?"

"Alright…" at that, Len, Gumi and Neru calmed down, and Rin walked out of the corner she had cowered in after the three had started fighting. As Neru kept grumbling about the missing Wi-Fi, Gumi started gluing pictures for the poster.

"Good…" grumbled Meiko.

"There is a place who wants to print our tickets and poster" suddenly declared Neru. Gumi turned around.

"How the hells did you do that so fast?"

"Well…"

"And without Wi-Fi?"

"I just happen to have my ways of communication, thank you…" Len cheered.

"Yay!"

"So…they charge seventy yen per twenty tickets printed, and eighty for the posters" declared Neru after some beeping.

"So how much will the tickets have to cost?" asked Meiko.

"Taking acknowledge of the crowd's situation with the blog, some being curious and others grossed out, meaning close to a full house, the cost of the tickets and posters, the number of PlayStations needed and their cost, meaning at the least one hundred, the tickets need to cost, for the least real benefit and only the strictly necessary…." She typed on the computer for a moment. "57'144 yen*" everybody winced.

"That's…mega-expensive! For ten songs, that price is ludicrous!" hollered Neru. Though she got up and looked over Gumi's shoulder, seeing that the math was well and realistically done.

"How about you remove the price of the tickets and posters from the equation?" she asked.

"Not much better…" replied the green-haired girl, wincing. "God…we need a lot of money"

"And in cash…this can't be paid by credit. But who, nowadays, carries 60'000 yen in cash in their pocket?" asked Rin.

"This is madness!" mumbled Neru.

"No, this is Sparta!" Everybody turned towards Meiko. "What? Trying to lighten up the mood…" Gumi shook her head.

"With a price like this, we'll never get a full house!"

"But without a price like this, we'll never get enough PlayStations!" Len scratched his head.

"Why…don't we start with a few, only, and once we free the bank account…we'll buy the rest"

"Len, I've known you for my entire life, and yet that is probably the awesome-est thing you have ever said"

* * *

><p>Luka softly rocked back and forth, comforting Miku as she cried.<p>

The girl frowned as she watched the smaller diva break down. Every time she left the house to record a song or help with the fundraiser, Miku would always greet her with tears streaming down her face. She couldn't know what was terrifying her so much, for sure, but she had a hunch.

So much secrecy was probably scaring the poor girl. There was enough happening as there was. But she had to leave earlier that day to talk with the others and finish recording that song. Now, they're all looking at the prices and such.

Once again, Miku was trying to speak sentences through her sobs, which seemed practically impossible just by listening to her try. Luka bit her lip, her heart tearing as she watched her suffer so.

Luckily it'll all be finished with soon.

* * *

><p>The streets were buzzing with activity. Some men were going to work; kids were going to their favorite park or the new theater that opened just last week. People were pushing each other to walk in a straight line, though others just moving with the crowd.<p>

Miki plucked a cherry from the basket she was carrying, humming a tune she had invented. Though the merry tune was muffled as she took the fruit in her mouth.

She normally took walks like this, taking some cherries with her and just walking where people around her went. She never got lost, and nobody minded. It seemed as if the whole city knew of this little habit of hers'. She just stuck to an incoherent moving blob of people and moved with them through the streets. Sometimes she was stuck in a group of businessmen, sometimes a gang, but nobody seemed to mind. Her cheery atmosphere seemed to make everybody either neutral or cheery as well.

Miki turned the corner, eating another cherry. Just as she swallowed, she opened her eyes.

She was so happy she had swallowed beforehand.

An enormous poster, billboard rather, stood in front of her.

A smile crept on her face. This was excellent!

She turned to look around her, and saw other people stare at the announcement, smiling and nodding. Miki grinned.

She was going on a trip this weekend.

* * *

><p>Neru snapped her phone shut, and looked up at the building in front of her. Apparently it was a 'small stage'. It could house three hundred people...not a small stage, for her standards. Well, she couldn't judge; she was new to all this, after all...All she was aware of was that they were really, really luky to be able to use such a stage, and for free! Well, unless the culprit was behind this, too, and had the stage rigged. But that was highly unlikely.<p>

She looked at the others, smiling at their wide eyes. Yes, she thought, she can do anything, even get a last-minute 'small' stage.

She walked up towards the booth in front of the door.

"Ok…somebody needs to sell the tickets here…"

"What?"

"We're selling the tickets on-the-spot, or we won't get the cash" explained the blonde. Meiko raised her hand.

"Me! Me, me, me, me, me!" she begged. Neru rolled her eyes slightly.

"Fine, Meiko will sell the tickets…" she gave the brunette the roll that had finished printing earlier that afternoon. "Charge 1'800 yen per ticket. 1'600 for kids, 1'700 for students. No special group prices and no less than what I told you" she lined out the rules with a military expression. Meiko nodded, excited that this is finally happening. "It's now twelve, and the concert starts at six. We have those hours to prepare, get changed and practice" everybody nodded, and ran into the building. Neru walked a ways to the side so that she could thank the man again for letting them use his stage for free. Then, she headed for the locker rooms, getting changed like the others.

When she stepped back outside, everybody was changed, and the boys were looking at the lights, while the girls tried a few dance moves. Because of the lack of time, the choreographies would have to be improvised.

They had decided in advance the order in which this will proceed, and since the boys are pretty spread over the program and liked playing with dangerous equipment, they would control the lights.

Neru snapped her phone open, taking it out of the pocket she had tailored in her concert outfit. They wore exactly the same clothes as their first concert, liking them and wanting to use them again.

The blonde checked her texts, and saw one from Luka, who currently wasn't with them. She was still at home with Miku, and was going to join them, pre-dressed, when the fundraiser would actually start. She would give an opening speech, and then practice silently backstage before her turn, which would be the last one, came up. Miku would have a front-row seat, the one with the best view and the best sound reception of the entire room (Gumi had made a few tests to find out which one that was).

Neru took the CD from her bag. It was the audio of their songs, and she was going to manipulate it. Nobody was going to touch the devices other than her, except when she was going on, then Len would play and pause the music.

She watched with a firm eye as the boys then proceeded to do light tryouts, making the girls yell as the spotlights ran over them. Rin was plugging the speakers in, and Len was doing his best to make sure the whole place was operational for the show.

When everybody said it was a-ok, Neru put in the CD, Kaito turned off the lights, and the practice began.

* * *

><p>Meiko put on a coat, and walked outside. The concert started in an hour and a half, and she had just freshened up so that she wasn't all sweaty for the show. Neru estimated that people would start showing up around now, so she sent Meiko outside so that nobody robbed the tickets.<p>

Neru was right. There already was a group of people waiting in the warm summer night, two adults and three children. Meiko smiled at them, and flipped the 'closed' sign to 'open'.

"Hello" she greeted. The man nodded in greeting, ordered five tickets as expected, paid and entered the building with his family.

Meiko wondered why these people where so early. The show was in an hour!

Five minutes later she got her answer.

People were running up towards the booth to get their tickets, hoping that the roll wouldn't be extinguished before they got there. Meiko had to learn to think quick, putting the coins and bills in their designated places as she gave out tickets and change. She was never the best mathematician, but seeing all these numbers and the stress of having people leave out of sheer impatience scared her, so the calculations went faster than a bullet.

As she looked up from the register, she saw a family of three, but they looked oddly familiar. Just the mother's eyes seemed to remind her of someone. But the daughter was the most remarkable. Cherry-red hair, and identically colored eyes, she almost seemed unreal.

"Good evening" she greeted. The girl squealed happily. Now Meiko was doubting the girl's age. At first, she seemed thirteen, now she seemed eight.

"You're Meiko, right?" she asked. The brunette nodded. "Oh my gosh, how exciting it must be to become a star overnight~!" Meiko chuckled.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool" the girl nodded.

"Say, are Luka and Miku here?"

"Yes, they are, but Miku won't be performing" The father chuckled.

"Sorry, for delaying you, but we are related to Luka-"

"And Miku!" added the girl. But Meiko ignored her a little, processing the information. Now that's why they seemed familiar!

"Ah, that's great! I'm sure that Luka will be very happy to see you!" she cheered with a smile.

The man paid for the tickets as the girl kept talking.

"By the way, my name is Miki!"

"So, do Miku and Luka know you?"

"Yup! We met the day Luka got out of the hospital!" Meiko smiled.

"Ok, see you!" Miki disappeared inside, and Meiko slightly regretted not being able to provide them with better seats or with a lower price. Nevertheless, she apologized for the delay to the others and kept selling tickets.

This was going to be a full house…

* * *

><p>Luka squeezed the hand that she held encouragingly.<p>

"Come on, Miku. It's not far anymore" they had taken the train, then the bus, and where now walking the rest of the way. Though the summer evening was warm and still quite sunny, Miku practically hid in her coat.

Luka had no idea what was going through her beloved's head right now, but she herself was bubbling with excitement. Her second concert! Organized by a bunch of kids!

She wondered what Miku was going to say to that.

"Miku~! Come on, or we'll be late!" she edged. Miku whimpered a little, feeling scared and exposed. She was afraid of what Luka and the others had planned, and didn't want to be afraid. But nightmares have been haunting her all week.

Luka grinned slightly, wrapping her arm around Miku's shoulders encouragingly. The smaller girl leaned into the touch immediately, seeking comfort and a place where such troubles and secrets didn't exist.

"Miku, I assure you that nothing will happen" she tried, putting her face to Miku's eye level. Her teal orbs were filled with tears that never were able to roll down the girl's cheeks. Luka smiled reassuringly, and softly kissed the girl's forehead, something she knew Miku liked. "Come on, everybody will be very happy to see you" Miku nodded slightly, and hurried her steps, if only to help her beloved. Luka smiled, taking her hand again.

Miku looked up slightly, eyeing the large building in front of her. Clearly they were taking the back door, seeing the dark-looking walls and creepy lights. Luka nevertheless opened a door, and they were met with a surprising amount of noise. Miku winced, but Luka merely smiled joyfully, and led her beloved through different hallways.

Miku couldn't see much from under her hoodie, but she knew that these halls were familiar to her. She had been here before.

Luka slowed down, and the smaller girl felt fear creep up on her as she noticed they had been walking towards the source of the noise.

Opening her eyes wide enough to adjust to the sudden lack of light, she nearly gasped.

Hundreds of people. All whispering, talking, laughing and chatting.

What was going on?

Before she could ask any questions, Luka led her to a seat, and sat her there.

"Miku, I'll be back soon. Just wait here, ok?" Miku nodded, wanting to shrink. Why did she bring her here?

"Oh, my, gosh!" squealed a familiar voice. Miku turned towards her right, and met two very wide eyes. "Miku!"

"M-Miki?" stuttered the cowering diva. She had been seated to the side, and right next to her sat a very excited relative. "What-?"

"I am so excited to be here! I can't believe this~!" cheered Miki, jumping in her seat. "How is it going to be, Miku? I bet it's going to be great!" Miku was confused.

"What are you talking about?" the redhead froze, her eyes widening.

"Oh, I get it!" immediately she was silent, staring straight ahead of her, towards the stage Miku just now noticed.

"Miki!"

"Nope!"

Miku pouted, but turned towards the stage as well. Curiosity was burning inside of her right now, she had no idea what was happening. But the presence of the redhead comforted her immediately; she knew that Miki would never be able to partake in anything horrible or horrendous.

The lights faded, and Miku looked up to the control panel. As usual, it was hard to see, and it was impossible to look past the dark glass.

Hesitantly, she turned towards the stage again as Miki practically danced on her butt.

A spotlight turned on, and centered on the stage. Miku gasped as she saw Luka appear from between the curtains. The pink-haired diva's step was slightly uncertain, but determined. Miku immediately straightened in her seat, starting to understand.

She watched as Luka looked over the crowd and smiled. She shook her head slightly.

"Ok…I never expected a full house…" she mumbled into the microphone in her hand. The crowd cheered, Miki alone, practically blowing Miku's eardrums. But the diva couldn't help a smile. Luka's eyes sparkled as she once again looked over the spectators.

"Well…let's just say a lot has happened, these past days…" she started her voice quiet and calm, but audibly containing excitement. "We've all heard of the mean blog on Crypton, right?"

Miku couldn't believe this, and she couldn't believe as the crowd started cheering again. But this time, the cheers were filled with insults-not towards Luka, but towards the site. She felt something new bubble in her chest as Luka smiled at the reaction.

"I must assure you, that it is a fake. Miku has never written such a thing" her voice grew solemn, and her face fell slightly. "In consequence, she was openly insulted, and beaten. We did our best to protest, to fight this thing, but in vain… We tried our best to ignore it, but then the billboards came up. We thought that this couldn't possibly continue. That is why we are all here, right now. Your appearance here is helping us, so much more than I can explain. We needed your support, your presence, and your help. We thank you for coming, from wherever you might be from, and I hope you think that this show will be worth it" with a final smile, she exited the stage, leaving the crowd cheering.

Miku was speechless. A fundraiser…! Only that would explain what was happening.

She felt immense relief fill her, coupled with so many other feelings. She couldn't feel her fingers anymore, so happy she was.

The lights dimmed, quieting the crowd. Miku wiped any tears that had graced her eyes, and sat with what felt like a whole new life, towards the show.

The slam of a wooden hammer filled the room, and a quiet piano followed. Every second or so, there was another strike of the hammer, making Miku feel curious.

When the strange melody and regular tapping exploded into a song, she smiled. Kaito came on stage, wearing his concert clothes, earning many cheers and fan-girl screams from the crowd. He sung with elegance, though with dark undertone.

It was the story of a judge, who didn't care what the accused man's crimes were, just as long as he had money. In those conditions, he was free to roam. A dark story was added, and at the choruses, the song seemed to fill with more life, making something stir inside Miku's chest.

As a lone hammer strike filled the room, everything stopped for half a second, but the music then resumed, telling how the evil judge, who had been killed, was before hell's gates. And, apparently, the devil had the same rules as him; money and you will pass.

Miku smiled when she saw how this was connected to her real life. It wasn't that hard to find the blurry connection, but she was very amazed by how Kaito had done this. When the final chorus was sung, and the instrumental finished, the room exploded with cheers. The lights danced for the boy as he left the stage.

As a few seconds filled with anticipation passed, Miku started feeling better and better. Her friends…were the best anyone could ever have. How could she have ever doubted them?

A heavy string instrument's notes fell on the crowd, quickly turning into a soft, heavy, dramatic melody. Meiko, in her red skirt and shirt, appeared, holding the perfect expression, fitting the music perfectly.

She incarnated sorrow, Miku felt. In her long, prolonged notes, she put so much feeling it almost hurt.

During the instrumentals Meiko didn't dance, but seemed as if somebody she loved was being executed on-the-spot.

A beautiful, emotional song.

Miku had to tear her eyes from the stage as Meiko resumed her singing to look at Miki. The redhead was already waiting for her to do so.

"So, how do you like the surprise?" she asked. Miku smiled.

"What, you were in on this?" the relative shook her head.

"No~! But I figured it out!"

"Say…what were the song's names?" Miki nodded, and handed her a piece of paper. Kaito had sung 'Judgment of Corruption', while Meiko had sung 'Crimson'. Both pieces were absolutely great.

Lights danced again, gaining a purpled hue.

Light string music filled the room, but soon a guitar followed the slightly rusty notes. After a small introduction, Gakupo appeared on stage, robe, belts and all, getting many cheers. He sung an intro, letting the guitar follow his stead, playing the same melody the strings were earlier.

The song quickly built, though the music was clearly quieter whenever Gakupo was singing, until the chorus. Again, poetic work, that made Miku feel so incredibly happy to be here, right at that moment.

The story was once again tragic, though it was blurry. But again, Miku found the connection with their present situation.

Her friends…were the absolute best. She couldn't think otherwise.

"He's great~!" sang Miki as the guitar solo went up. But quickly Gakupo replaced the instruments with his strong, comforting voice.

"He is indeed…" whispered Miku. The song ended with a few more strings, making it seem as if it disappeared in thin air. "Paranoid Doll?" 'Well chosen'.

"Oh! Haku's next!"

"Crime and Punishment? Sounds interesting…"

The lights did a little show once more, making Miku wonder who they could have hired to do this. And…this fundraiser wasn't sponsored by or for Crypton, wasn't it? If not, then…how did they get the music?

Miku couldn't find time to find out as Haku stepped onstage.

Something like a heartbeat flew over their heads, and a small, timid melody followed. Haku sung with a visibly shyness, as adorably as ever and seeming at least ten years younger.

Though, when the chorus started, the cute image disappeared, and Haku turned into a wild beast, demanding why this person wouldn't listen, why this person wouldn't feel her heart.

A tragic song it was.

The heartbeat continued through the whole song, stopping only when the chorus started. When at last, said chorus ended, Haku danced elegant moves as the lights followed. This all fit together so well.

After four beats, the song ended, and it almost seemed too short.

"Len's next, Len's next~!" squealed Miki. Miku looked at her, still in awe.

"Really?"

"Isn't he the hottest boy or what?" asked the redhead, ignoring the diva's inquiry. "I would totally date him!" Miku smiled sadly.

"Sorry, he's taken" Miki shrugged, not bothering to ask who had claimed the boy.

"I can still look at him from a distance~…"

"What's he singing?"

"Imitator…" gushed the redhead. Miku was slightly surprised Miki had a side like this. She would have never though the she would gush like that after a person.

She turned towards the stage as a light tune broke the silence. A flute of some sort, then xylophones. When a slightly stronger beat built up, Len's voice erupted, filling their heart with desire and wishes.

This song had a more focused story, if only slightly. He sang that he was a 'toy, built to imitate humans', and that he wished that he could one day have a real heart, and that it broke him to not have a physical appearance.

"Oh…you can have my heart anytime, Len…" gushed a fan behind the teal-haired girl. Miku didn't' listen, hearing how Len had conveyed both the current situation, and his own feelings into both lyrics and melody. She felt slightly sad for him, understanding that he still felt guilty for everything he had done.

The whole song had a light, yet persistent feeling to it. Almost begging…it was a perfect combination, Miku couldn't dream of doing better.

When the song finished, Miku smiled. He's been forgiven; truly, completely forgiven.

Before anybody could breathe a small melody filled the room. Shy, timid, and a little childish. Without looking at the program, Miku quickly tried guessing who did this. Rin, maybe?

When a gunshot exploded the peaceful silence, everybody jumped. The broken music box and heartbeat, followed by an ambulance, evolved into a very cut-up melody.

The room went wild when Lily erupted dramatically from behind the curtains, and Miku was speechless. Lily was here, too? She also had a hand in this?

Why? They had just met!

That made her feel that much more precious to Miku.

The song was tragic as well, but Miku had a little more difficulty finding the link, or the inspiration she could have gotten for this.

Though this song was a different style of what Miku was accustomed too, she greatly enjoyed it. Drums were greatly present, and the balance of low and high tones seemed perfectly balanced. Lily's voice harmonized perfectly with the tragic words she sung, and almost too soon, the final chorus started, ended and died. With a few dramatic hits on the drums, the song ended with a flair.

"She's awesome" mumbled Miki. The star next to her nodded, wondering why Lily didn't do more public appearances.

A soft guitar echoed off the walls, as Neru's shy, sorrowful song voice followed directly afterwards.

The song was slightly more childish, making it interesting, seeing how Neru normally was a little more mature. But the words she uttered were grief-stricken.

"What's this?" wondered Miku. While Lily had sung 'Under of Fragments', Neru was now singing 'The One Left for His Hand'; a perfect title indeed.

After a bridge that added more interest to the song, and a guitar solo that added emotion, Miku wondered how Neru could have composed this. It wasn't…what she was used to. Very varied, but still between the tracks. Very interesting indeed…

The song ended with a pull on the guitar's strings, and a small smile from Neru's part. Without missing a second, the blonde fled the scene.

Miku smiled. Still so anti-social-ish.

When another guitar started playing Miku read the program and saw that Gumi was up with 'For my Soul'. Another guitar met the first, and another. Finally Gumi sang with a slightly scratched voice. Drums came into the mix, and Gumi's voice cleared.

When the chorus started, Miku smiled. It seemed slightly more…dominant than the rest, causing Miku to feel a tingle in her gut. She could feel this in music.

After that, there was a small instrumental, and a guitar solo, but Gumi halted the solo, with her faded, scratchy voice.

It was a great song, Miku finally decided, not finding a better word.

She was amazed at her friends' progress…not two months ago; they weren't even singers yet!

She knew that Rin was next, already having cast another look at the program. She was singing 'Fate of Soul'.

A beautiful piano intro invaded the room, followed by other instruments, creating a slightly luxurious sound.

Her voice joined the music, and a sorrowful story filled their ears. Indeed, another sad story filled with sadness, and as her brother's, a slight desire.

When the song ended, Miku smiled warmly and contently.

She couldn't remember feeling better.

Heavy music pierced the silence, with a heavy beat, catching Miku off guard. Of course…Luka still needed to sing! And there she came, her beloved, wearing her concert attire, though there was one difference; she was holding a gun.

Miku had no doubt that the weapon was a fake, but it still startled her to see her hold such a lethal thing.

She starting singing, and caught the whole room off guard. Her voice wasn't tragic, it wasn't coated with sadness and sorrow; it was hatred incarnated.

Miku watched, stunned as her beloved spoke words of hatred and jealousy, speaking some phrases in English, which were literally death promises.

As the song continued, her voice grew more and more venomous. Miku watched with wide eyes as her verses became longer, dragging on, and finally snapping.

The moment the music stopped, a black figure emerged from behind the curtains.

Luka twirled on her heels, her hair whipping her in the face. Without hesitation, she raised her arm, and shot the dark figure standing before her. The sound of the gunshot rang through the room, startling everybody. Miku was shaking from the shock.

A gasp went through the crowd as the now smirking diva blew on the smoking weapon in her hand, a satisfied smile on her lips. The figure collapsed on the ground, the bullet having pierced him through the skull.

"Show's over!" she said triumphantly. She raised her arms, and the curtain lifted. Everybody was there, smiles on their lips and seeming giddy with excitement. The shot figure stood, and its arm rose to pull off the mask, revealing Gumi, who was also grinning.

The crowd stood, clapping wildly. Miki cheered uncontrollably, and Miku couldn't help but pull down her hoodie and walk up towards the stage. Luka smiled down at her, and extended a hand for her to grab. Miku accepted it, and joined her friends on the platform. She hugged them tightly, tears escaping her eyes, not hearing the approving cheers from the crowd seemingly deafened by sheer joy and thankfulness.

She thanked them over and over again, especially Gakupo when she heard this was all his idea, and without hesitation, kissed Luka on the cheek. The crowd cheered even louder at that, and Miku was sure she could hear Miki yell something.

"Thank you all…so much…" she whimpered for the hundredth time. When Kaito gave her the microphone, proposing her to say something, the smaller diva took it, still crying and smiling. She turned to the spectators, the simple movement silencing them.

"I…I have no idea what to say…" she mumbled, for once feeling shy. For the first time ever, she was on stage, without knowing what to say. "I mean…it's so nice for my friends…to do so much for me…" she wiped a tear, still grinning. "I don't feel like I deserve them!" she crowd cheered in playful protest, causing Miku to smile from ear to ear. "Thank you all…so much…" she put the microphone down and continued hugging her dear, dear friends.

With a few more words of farewell taken care of by Meiko, the group left the building. After a small walk and train ride, they all went to Miku's apartment. Just like the day they had found the miracle solution to the blog, they were cheering stupidly, though this time seeming weirder, as they were wearing their concert clothes. Luka opened a bottle of Champagne, surprising Miku greatly, but that didn't stop them from having a happy toast.

* * *

><p>Len was cheering with the others, starting to feel slightly tipsy from the alcohol. He had never drunk before, neither had the others, but Meiko seemed to have some weird immunity to the poison.<p>

Music was blaring loudly, and everybody was still standing, and he was dancing like a string less puppet with his sister. Everybody else was also managing to stumble around, and to his surprise, even Neru was grinning stupidly. That was something he probably won't ever see again...

"Hey~, Len!" greeted Miku. She seemed like a party mess, but it was clear she was having great fun. Len vaguely wondered why her clothes were so disheveled. He thought with amusement that Luka was responsible for that.

"You look like a mess!" he teased. Miku pouted like a child, flicking his nose with her thumb and index finger.

"And you...!" she slurred. "Look like a drunk little boy~!"

"Miku~!" called a very drunk-sounding Luka. Miku smirked, looking in her direction, before turning back to Len.

"Say…could you get some tissues form my room?" she asked. Len nodded, not really wanting to know why the hell she needed tissues. He stumbled over down the hall, bumping into the walls every now and then. He entered the room, gazing upon the messy bed. Besides the bed, everything seemed perfectly normal. He tripped over towards one of the two nightstands, not knowing if this was Miku or Luka's, and opened the drawer. He found a teal book (so he was at Miku's nightstand…), a key, and an alarm, but nothing else. He stumbled to the other side. There, he found another key, some tissues, and a small black box.

Curious, he picked up the box, seeing that there were many buttons. He pressed one, and heard Miku's voice come from the small rectangular object. He shrugged, pausing the recording, and put it back in its place. He got the tissues, and walked back to the hall. He gave them to Miku who, at the moment, was heavily making out with Luka and left to join his sister, not really processing what he had just seen.

* * *

><p>The door slammed shut as the drunk figure stuttered over towards the computer, turning it on, and cursing slightly with a heavy, slurred voice. The dark room lit as the computer screen came to life. Quickly the stranger typed in the password, the fingers running over the keyboard furiously.<p>

It wouldn't accept defeat so easilly. Those brats had stumbled it's plans with that fundraiser; now they were going to counterattack, and it knew exactly how well they would fight for dear, dear Miku. It sneered.

But…the figure had another trick up his sleeve.

**Preview~**

Her eyes were dark, clouded. They were underlined with dark circles, and all visible hair was unkempt and greasy.

Miku's heart nearly stopped at the mere sight. A zap of electricity ran through her veins, numbing her fingers and rendering her mentally incapable of pretty much anything.

Just by looking at her, even with the new creases over her brows and the extremely annoyed and frustrated aura, she couldn't help but melt in a helpless puddle on the floor and gasp.

"What?" asked the idol behind bars, voice dry, crisp, and almost insulting. "What the hell do you want with me?"

Meiko smiled.

"Come on. You gotta admit that fooling around with Crypton's stuff was kinda stupid, but we know you aren't the blogger!"

"How would you know?" she spat, her gaze cutting like a hot knife through butter.

Everybody froze at this, and Miku felt new tears arise.

Luka looked at Miku, the dark grey eyes softening slightly.

"And what do you think, Miku…?" she asked.

Miku couldn't help but cry.

"You, did it…didn't you?" she asked, between sobs.


	15. Everything Crumbles To Dust

**Sawc: **Ok, how do you know I updated during your sixth period? Hmm…?  
>It's great to feel awesome, eh?<br>I can't say, but I can say that all the answers are held within this chapter!  
>Thanks ^^<p>

**Jak656: **Thanks a lot!  
>Yay, a promotion! *cheers*<br>Haha, I love killing my readers…  
>0.0 Ok, you'll be the first to know!<p>

**HatsuneFan66: **Thanks again for such a wonderful review. I also think that Haku is the most innocent of all Vocaloids, she just has something cute to her…I can already tell you, she's completely innocent. I also enjoy making Gakupo's life hell D  
>I loved writing Luka and Miku drunk, it's quite…interesting.<br>Heh, maybe a Wii can do that, too. Well…it's worth the try!  
>Thank you so much, again…<p>

**Meislovely: **Wha-? What was…oh, well. I updated as fast as possible!

**Evil4Corn****: **I love cliffies, don't you? I'm evil…

**Ranshin Sitro: ** But I love the cliffies!  
>It's what I do! :3<p>

**Asphell's Advocate: **Really, why so obvious? Just because I wrote a bit if chapter in everybody's point of view? Well…look closely, Agh, forget it, you'll see here, anyway.  
>Thank you ^^<p>

**Rm928: **Semi? Well, I hope this chapter satisfies you completely! Of course Len is light weight…what else would you expect?

**PaperCutVictim: **Oho…you'll be frustrated, all right D  
>Haha, damn that figure indeed.<br>THIS IS SPARTA! I had to put it in there…I just had to.

**Zoop Top: **Oh, here's the climax!  
>Finals…are annoying, eh? Maybe that's that case, simply because the previews are short and WTF inducing and the chapters are long and everything is explained.<br>Maybe because you don't :D

**Aa'an Ku'iichi: **What do you mean, unfortunately? You know, a remark like that can delay the update of a chapter, right? Nah, joking. It'll only encourage me to wipe that 'unfortunately' out of your mind! Good, be patient, because this will take some time to finish.  
>Yay!<p>

**Servant of Matryoshka: **Done~! Well…sorry it took so long. :(

**Chinensis' Fan: **Yup, and as you shall soon see, she is going to regret it, more or less. Sorry it took so long for the upload…

**Daishi Michiko: **Haha, hate it when that happens~! ;P Stupid phones…  
>Anyway, thanks~! It's those kinds of reviews that motivate me to write when I have a block; frankly, if I didn't get those reviews like yours, it would be years before this would have been here. 0.o<br>Sorry the update took so long…  
>Delete an e-mail address? Wow, how do you live? ;D<p>

**StattStatt: **Thank you~! For both the reviews and the patience. :)

**Iluvian Melody: **thank you for the great reviews~! I really appreciate them~! Ahem, now to them replies…  
>Well, here you are~! Name in the beginning of the chapter! :D Wish granted! XP<br>Ah~ I love the forest chapters; my mini-golden-age. In my opinion my best writing. :3 Anyways, fear can do a lot to people, remember that. And Miku didn't really believe that Luka was betraying her; she was haunted by the mere thought of that ever being true. :)  
>GUILTY FOR HEARTBREAKING? YES~! *goal achieved* and Luka can shoot me anytime, hohoho~! X3<br>And too bad for you, if no chapters are updated~! In all sincerity, though, I'll do my best to not die before this is over. :D  
>Thank you for the last review; it made me feel much better, especially because I was down in the dumps that day. It also pushed me forward to continue writing~!<p>

**Ranshin Sitro: **Thank you~!

**Blodh Skolir: **Thanks~! The re-written chapters are slowly but surely coming up; up to chapter three is re-done, but chapter four is LONG, so that one will take a while. :)

**Lukadaisuki: **First off; yay, another Luka fan~! :D Second; that wasn't a question. XD Lol indeed.

**Roster498: **Thank you for reviewing my story, I'm glad you enjoy it enough to have read the whole thing in one day~!  
>Thank you for telling me about the dialogue; I have noticed it while writing, but I didn't think much of it. I have tried to improve it in this chapter and the re-done ones. Hope it helps~! :)<br>Also, thanks for the playlist~! ;P

**CVX-01: **Thank you for such a great review~! Your English was fine, perfectly understandable, so no problem in that direction~! :)  
>I have noticed that I did write the dialogue in a different way than others might. I didn't pay attention to it 'till now, but now I have tried to change it and I hope it helps~!<p>

**FeeptheNinja: **Here's the too-long waited-for update~! :D

**FisheyCakes:** Here's the truth~! Bash the guilty one all you want~ ^w^

**Otaku4life:** Very well~! Ah, sometimes I wonder if I deserve all those reviews! Thank you for reviewing even before reading anything, though~! :D

***coughs*...Well, as you can see...I'm not dead~ *coughyetcough***

**I apologize sincerely for this extreme delay. I can't blame 'real life' for this, though; it was, truthfully, mostly laziness... But I still feel terrible, and because of sheer guilt, and thanks to the best motivation I could wish for, I wrote the final half of this chapter in two days. :D **

**Sorry if my review replies are...kinda hard to understand; it's been a long time (1/4 of a year. D8). **

**Well...here we are****: the blogger, the truth of it all, and the second-to-last chapter of Sneering Eyes! :D **

* * *

><p>Len groaned incoherently, feeling his spine twisted at a weird angle and his legs somewhere above him…or below him, he couldn't really tell. What he did know, was that at the same time, he was oddly uncomfortable and comfortable. Yes, his spine was probably twisted in a way that felt like it was beyond repair, but he also felt something warm next to him, and whatever he was lying on was nice and soft.<p>

Groaning again, he tried to open his eyes, making a real effort to discern whatever may be around him. Immediately, he pressed his eyes closed as bright light blinded him. Blinking softly, the boy finally managed to make out his surroundings.

The blond singer was in Miku's apartment. He had only been here a few times, but he already knew the place. It was so painfully dull, just white walls and strict necessary furniture; he couldn't confuse the room with anywhere else.

Though, knowing exactly where he was in the room proved to be more difficult. How could he tell, when everything surrounding him was exactly the same color?

Len interrupted his musings when he felt a bone in his neck groan in protest. With a sigh, he tried to position himself more comfortably. Now…which way was down?

A shrill squeak scared the living daylights out of his soul, making a piercing headache rise at the base of his skull.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" demanded a voice, obviously furious beyond reasonable limits. Len shook his head, finally recognizing the voice as Neru's, and she was…right below him? Well, from what he could tell.

He immediately got his answer when he felt himself fall and tumble, before hitting the wooden floor with a thud. His headache increased tenfold.

"Agh…"

"Don't you do that again!" yelled Neru. Len shook his head again.

"Wha…?"

"No more drinking! That is the last time we are ever having a party with champagne! Seriously!" He heard the girl get up, but he still couldn't quite orient himself.

"Ow…" he complained, the headache still prominent in his thoughts. He felt as if an anvil had been smashed on his skull, sending him straight against the ground. Well, that last part wasn't untrue.

"God, that's the hangover…" mumbled Neru. Len faintly wondered why she didn't have such a terrible morning.

Morning?

What time is it, actually?

"What…"

"That's still no excuse for groping me like that" came the now slightly embarrassed voice of the ponytailed diva. Len shook his head only slightly, not to worsen the headache. But everything was so confusing…

Wait…grope?

"Wha…?" Neru scoffed.

"Ok…this here is a mess…I don't want to know where Miku and Luka are, but this is still a mess" stated Neru. Len looked up, seeing Neru right above him, observing what he couldn't even see.

Wait…she was wearing her concert skirt.

Blood rushed to Len's face.

"Len, get up-ah!" Neru kicked him in the face, sending him sprawling across the floor. He hit something, someone else, who groaned. Len simply remained wide-eyed, blood leaking from his nose.

"You pervert!" yelled the blonde girl.

"I didn't do it!" came a third voice. Len looked at the form he had landed against, and saw that it was Meiko, who was also trying to see what was around her. Apparently she had just woken up, startled from her sleep by Len. She winked a few times, probably not aware of the phrase she had just yelled. The brunette looked down at the boy. "Well…aren't you being a little unfaithful?" she slurred, the headache audible in her voice.

Len shook his head again, not knowing what she was talking about. Meiko laughed.

"Ah, don't worry…I was like that at my first hangover, too~" she groaned, though with a smile. She got up, making Len fall to the ground. Meiko staggered towards the female blonde, who had observed the scene with narrow eyes and a scowl.

"By all the flying lamps…how do you pull such a straight face, Neru?" she asked. Neru huffed, looking at the pained, confused boy out of the corner of her eye, vaguely wondering what Meiko meant by 'first hangover'.

"I don't drink, you goofballs" Meiko laughed, almost painfully. Neru narrowed her eyes in her direction. Ok, she had a glass, ok, she had gotten tipsy, but she hadn't been drunk!

"Eh…get used to it~"

Neru just looked away from her friend.

Indeed, this room was a complete mess. Kaito was sleeping against the TV; the flat screen object teetering precariously above the ground. Gumi was in the kitchen, along with Lily and Haku. All three had their own positions either on the floor or against the counters. Haku still held a bottle in her hand, and seemed to be sleeping contently. Neru remembered that the silver-haired girl had had a drinking contest with Lily, Meiko and Luka, but she had outdone all three by a mile. And…she didn't seem to feel the hangover that was legible on Lily's face.

Rin was in the hall, passed out in a puddle of…something Neru didn't want to think about cleaning up.

Miku, Luka and Gakupo where nowhere to be seen. Neru shook her head, trying not to think of anything…indecent.

"Where's our triangle of love~?" asked Meiko. Neru wondered if she really was having a hangover, or was still drunk.

"Where am I?" asked Len desperately from the floor. He seemed to be on the verge of tears. Neru huffed, before kneeling down by the boy, helping him sit up straight. While she tried to reassure the boy that he didn't risk anything, Meiko simply grinned, looking around.

Ah…a good morning this was.

She staggered towards the kitchen, seeing that the trio present there seemed quite content with their placement…though Gumi and Lily both holding opposite ends of a single carrot in their sleep was a little peculiar.

Meiko smirked, eyes still half-closed, and made her way towards the hall. What mess did Gakupo, Luka and Miku get into?

The brunette tried to step over Rin, but still managed to step on the bow in her hair. The blonde didn't even react.

Meiko simply made her way further down the hall. At her right, she looked into the bathroom and saw Gakupo passed out against the sink.

'Aw…how lame~" mumbled Meiko. Her perverted wishes were ruined. She staggered on, looking around.

The small, though spacious home had little personality. She knew that Luka was going to change that a.s.a.p. How, she didn't know, but Luka was going to have her say.

The simplicity of the construction of the building was almost mind-numbing. Corridor, door, room…nothing interesting was present to catch the eye.

Meiko wondered why Miku didn't have a better place to live.

She pushed open a final door at the end of the hall, knowing that it was the two diva's room on the other side.

"Aw~, ain't they cute~!" she cooed.

"MEIKO!"

* * *

><p>Len groaned, shifting slightly in his bed. His memories from the previous evening were hazy. Though he could clearly remember the fundraiser, (and that was one of the best nights of his life) he could barely remember the party. He felt regret at this, because he remembered the fun he had…He had wondered if Neru or Rin could tell him what had happened, but his sister was also pulling a blank of the occurrences and Neru just blushed and stuttered an excuse.<p>

In any case, everybody was home. Luka and Miku had…greatly enjoyed the previous evening, to say the least. Haku felt fine, practically refreshed, though her newer friends Lily and Gumi were grumpier than Scrooge on Christmas. Kaito and Meiko were also a little ignorant of their party, and not to mention hung-over. Gakupo was all giddy the whole morning, though every time he squealed of excitement, he would groan from a headache. Apparently, besides Neru, he was the only one who didn't drink too much.

Len rolled over, trying to find a position in his bed where the pain in his skull wouldn't be too pronounced.

He could barely remember only a few things. One thing was a small flash of Miku asking something, another was Neru scolding him, and the last was everybody applauding at him for whatever reason.

Though the first memory stuck out for him. He couldn't remember exactly, but he couldn't help but feel he had found an important clue not a minute later.

He groaned, his efforts in clearing his mind being crushed when Rin shrieked. He officially declared that hangovers were NOT FUN. Especially when two of your friends seemed to carry it out beautifully…he groaned, remembering how Haku woke up as if it were a regular Sunday morning. She had clearly drunk the most of the group, and yet there she was, healthy as a fish. And Meiko just wore it off within an hour. How, he wondered.

* * *

><p>Miku groaned. This wasn't healthy, she finally thought. Being paranoid of betrayal one hour, giddy with happiness the following, drunk the next and hung-over the last was not healthy.<p>

"Hey~…" greeted Luka, as she joined Miku on the couch. They had just finished cleaning up the mess from the previous evening, which wasn't that much, surprisingly. The task that took up the most of their time was sweeping the floor clean and dry. Of course, that seemed that much more difficult with an enormous headache.

"Hi…" she sighed. Luka smiled warmly.

"Feel better?" she asked.

Miku sighed. Did she feel better?

They finally had a solution. They were going to buy those games once their hangovers would end, and bring down the site. Then finally, this nightmare would end.

Yes, she felt better, much better than she had in a long time.

"Yes." she answered, leaning against her lover. Luka smiled happily, stroking Miku's long, messy hair.

"Did you have fun last night?" she finally asked. Miku smirked.

"When?" the taller diva laughed at this.

"At the fundraiser, silly."

"Of course I did." the duo remained silent for a moment. They were just relishing in the other's presence, enjoying the time, just being side-by-side. Finally, Miku asked a question, breaking the silence. "How did you do it?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you compose those songs, write the music, and get the stage, everything? I mean…" Luka smiled.

"It seems so hard to do when others have to do it for you the whole time, eh?" she teased. Miku grumbled.

"Well, I sing, it's not my place to organize those things" Luka laughed at this answer. "Can you please answer the question?" begged the smaller idol.

"Well, we quickly finished composing the songs we needed for Crypton. We got those over with as quickly as possible. After all, we needed to work fast, you were getting scared, I felt." she finished the sentence sadly, remembering the evenings spent supporting a sobbing Miku. The tealette nodded. "Then, we composed our songs. It was difficult, but we got through it. Once our songs were finished, more or less, we recorded them using Crypton's studios"

"How did you get them?" asked Miku.

"Neru's manager, Maxim, reserved them for us on afternoons. We didn't save the data; we only tried to get good music. We saved that on a CD, and used it at the fundraiser"

"So, the songs last night were…"

"Exclusively only for then and for you" finished Luka. Miku smiled, despite the cliché feeling of the declaration. Who cares if something's cliché if it's true?

"And the stage?" asked Miku. Luka grinned.

"Neru knew a guy who had…a faraway relative who had a friend who owned a stage. He let us use it for free. We were the only ones there. We practiced at last minute, the boys playing with the lights"

Miku's eyes widened.

"Wait…Miki was there!"

"Really?"

"Yes! She was seated right next to me!"

"Wow, I didn't know…Meiko must have seen her go in, and forgot to tell me…"

Miku's forehead creased.

"Wait…how did she know about the fundraiser? She lives in another city!"

"I have no idea where Neru gets her connections…she made sure that posters Gumi made and had printed were as spread out as possible." Miku listened in awe.

"Wow…"

"Who would have figured that a bunch of teens could get a stage, print both posters and tickets, compose, write and make music within a week, with benefits?" mumbled Luka, amused.

They have grown in the last year, she thought. Not five months ago would she have gone so far for Miku or any other friend…now they stuck like glue.

* * *

><p>Three days.<p>

Three days had passed since the fundraiser.

Everybody was in a good mood, and looked at the challenging blogger with optimism. They felt indestructible, undefeatable.

Miki, who had greatly enjoyed the fundraiser, had to leave after two days. But before, she had the greatest pleasure of meeting all of the Crypton singers, getting an autograph from each.

Crypton seemed in a good mood as well. They had managed to unfreeze their site, though the blog persisted. Nevertheless, they had heard of the singer's plan, and decided to aid in the funding for the games. Now, instead of the original forty-seven PlayStations from only the fundraiser, they had one hundred of the game consoles, all functioning superbly and ready for installment.

The offending posters were gone, replaced by some ad for a perfume. This relieved Miku of much stress, and especially unwanted publicity.

And not only did the absent posters make the group feel better, but their impromptu concert was put in newspapers, giving them more than enough support messages by either mail to Crypton, or on the blog itself, practically destroying its original purpose.

Crypton, with all of the publicity, agreed the give the team another few days of vacation. The managers were proud of their coworkers, and had arranged that.

Now, everybody was in Rin and Len's home, trying to install all of the cables.

"Ok…Len, put that one on that rack…no, right there! Agh, Baka~!" ordered Rin, in charge of the installing of the machines. She was the one with the most knowledge in the whole subject of computers, and led the whole site with an iron fist.

"Luka, put this green wire in these ports, here, please" demanded Rin. She had given up on naming the names of the ports for the cables long ago. Saying 'USB' sent the entire team in confusion, so she declared them all hopeless and decided to point them out directly.

Luka nodded, taking the pile of green wires, and started hooking them in.

Luka was by far the readiest to serve. She wanted this story to end, maybe more than Miku herself. The mentioned diva watched; amazed, as her beloved plugged the cables into the games, with precision and speed.

Len, Kaito, Gakupo and Meiko were setting up the 'closet', as they called it. It was actually an enormous bookcase, found amongst the junk that previously occupied the same room. The wooden construction was very tall, and very long. It occupied three walls of the room, all the way to the ceiling. And seeing that the whole house was build grandly, the ceiling was high and the room was big. Gumi estimated that two hundred games could be housed in the bookcase, which was more than enough to Rin's standards.

While the four build the rest of the closet, Lily, Haku, Gumi and Miku put the games in their places, lining them up neatly. They needed to occupy the least space possible, and yet be far away from one another to not burn.

The heat of the games was a problem Gumi realized. With one hundred PlayStations working together, they would all melt in a week if the room wasn't cooled down every minute. Also, the boxes they came in needed to be put somewhere. Haku said it was a pity to throw them all out, so they were in the living room, temporarily.

Finally, Luka hooked up every game that was in place. Neatly making sure that the wires didn't mix or knot, she worked efficiently, to get the whole thing done with. When she ran out of games to plug in, she helped the others.

Rin watched over the whole thing. She opened her phone, waiting for a text that Neru should send her in approximately twenty seconds. She and Lily had gone to get a lunch for every one of them.

They had been working all morning. The female twin was amazed at their progress. Not four hours ago, the entire room was empty. Then Lily and Neru brought in the games, the boys set up the closet, the rest unboxing.

It was amazing what they could do when working together.

When her phone buzzed, right on time, Rin opened the message, reading that the two blondes would be there in two minutes. They had a special lunch for every one of them; Leek for Miku, tuna for Luka, banana for Len, ice for Kaito, eggplant for Gakupo, carrot for Gumi, cheese for Neru and finally orange for Rin. For Haku, Meiko and Lily, they didn't have any 'special sake' or anything else appetizing for their tastes, so just took an ordinary lunch. But they did bring Haku some tea, which she loved as well.

"Ok, everybody, lunch break!" called Rin. Meiko gasped.

"By all sleeping sheep…what a slave driver you are!" Rin glared at her, but Meiko was too tired to notice. Luka stretched, joining Miku's side as soon as possible.

"I can see the day that our life is free~!" sang Luka. The duo smiled, holding hands and leaning into each other's touch.

"Gee, stop acting all lovey-dovey, we get it, you're obsessed with one another!" grumbled Meiko with a smile, slightly amused. Miku stuck out her tongue playfully, savoring the moment.

What Luka had said was true. Their life, ever since they had become friends, had been more than wild. It was fantastic, almost out of a fairytale. Impossible, it was.

Half of it had been a nightmare and half of it paradise. Suffering and joy, laughs and cries…for once, they hoped that life would give them a vacation.

"Lunch time~!" sang Lily, opening the door with flair. Neru followed, much less spectacularly and with much less enthusiasm.

"It's lunch, not a circus." Neru stated. Lily pouted.

"I bet that even at a circus you're not as happy as I am now."

"True…" replied the shorter blonde. Len smiled when he saw the small smile the cellphone addict hid under her bangs.

"Whadya get?" asked Gakupo, impatient to finally eat.

"Lunches…the names are on the boxes" answered Neru, flipping out her phone. Len tsked at her, and the girl grumbled.

"No phones while eating" scolded the twin. Owner of said phone pouted, but put it away, earning a happy smile from the boy.

Minutes later, everybody was too busy eating to say another word.

* * *

><p>Everybody sat with baited breaths as Rin started her computer. After two days of constructing, putting together, and assembling the PlayStation Web, as they called it, they were finally going to see the results.<p>

Rin had double-checked everything at least three times. Every time, there was at least one thing wrong; a cable, a PlayStation wasn't turned on, anything. Now, after a careful inspection, the computer in front of them was going to tell them if their labor wasn't in vain.

The screen lit up, as expected and hoped. The whole group leaned closer, searching for a dysfunction that they hoped to never see. Nobody moved their feet; cables littered the ground, all collecting into a huge box, connected into more cables, then the computer they were all staring at.

As the whiteness prolonged, somebody swallowed, the sound echoing between the walls. Fear, anticipation, hope; these feeling were running through everybody's veins, their hearts throbbing almost simultaneously.

Luka gripped Miku's hand reassuringly, though the pinkette was obviously fighting fear herself. Everybody seemed close to passing out.

If this didn't work, then their last visible hope against the blogger was gone. Not only that, but they also needed to unfreeze Lily's account, and actually nab the criminal. Rin guessed that she could trace the criminal's location, with a frightening precision. But she could only guess at this time, and was now awaiting, like all the others, the results.

"Come on…" whispered Rin, getting worried. This was taking so long; it was now almost surely a failure. "Come on…" she repeated. If the computer could hear her, then they all begged it would comply.

When the screen flashed from white to black, the world crumbled.

Everybody deflated. Disappointment was palpable, thick, and suffocating. Miku was already shedding tears, yet the liquid pearls refused to roll down her cheeks.

"No!" hissed Lily, gripping the table she was leaning against so hard, the wood protested loudly. Rin sighed, gripping the bridge of her nose, eyes tight shut. Luka wrapped Miku in her arms, a sad expression on her face.

A welcome tune rang through the room, echoing between the walls. The computer came back from the dead, this time showing a bright display of blue.

"YES~!" clapped Gumi, breaking the ice. "It had to work!"

Everybody cheered.

"Ok, ok, ok…" stuttered Rin, letting the excitement get a hold of her. She almost couldn't believe this was working. "Uh…"

As everybody was wiping away tears of stress and laughing away the fear, Rin stared at the screen.

"Wow…" gaped the blonde. Numbers were filling the screen, displaying information that went by so fast; she couldn't catch a single digit. "Woooow…"

"Ok, Rin! Free my da-" "GORRILA!" "-bank account, track the mother-f-" "CHRISTMAS" "hacker, get our b-" "I LOVE FAIRYTALES!" "-their lives back, and order some pizza, we need to celebrate!" ordered Lily, not stopping despite Meiko's improvised cover-ups. Rin shook her hands over the keyboard as the numbers kept flying.

"Hey, hey, hey, I have no idea how this works yet! I-" she trailed off, just staring at the screen. "Dang…" Gakupo whistled.

"Wow…"

"We did all that"

"I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS WORKS!" yelled Rin out of awe. "This…"

"Well, we created a supercomputer" concluded Gumi.

Realization dawned over the group. Even Rin woke from her amazed state to realize one thing;

They have gone far for people their age. They have gone much farther than many would have dreamed of. They sought long and hard to find a solution, did the best they could to get it, and went to the end to put it together. Now, all they had to do, was finish their story.

When the page would turn, when the criminal would be arrested, when this whole madness would be over, everything would continue as it should. It never will be the same; they were all stars, now, known worldwide for their actions. School the coming year would be difficult; balancing school and singing wouldn't be easy. Their friendship and relationships would be threatened by lack of time, media, and other people. They would need the maximum support, and say farewell to the easy-going life.

Yet, for some reason, it didn't seem that difficult to them, not anymore.

No matter the pressure, the stress, the dangerous temptations, they knew that they would always be able to count on one another. No matter how cheesy, filmed, or staged that sounded, it was irreversibly and incontestably true. When they make mistakes, because they certainly will, they will be able to count on their friends. When they are challenged, they will help each other to win, conquer. When they are threatened, they will save each other and put the menace to rest.

Were they invincible? Maybe. They certainly aren't immortal, or gods, or impossible to reach. But they were probably impossible to take down, impossible to destroy.

This reassured them. But what scared them, was that this feeling of safety could be an illusion. But the screen in front of them told them that that wasn't true. This invincibility wasn't a lie.

The computer made a sound, waking them from their trance. Rin cracked her knuckles.

"Let's get to work…and get this over with!"

* * *

><p>Miku skip-twirled out of the studio.<p>

Everything was sunshine and rainbows, right now. Lily had her account back, and they were able to buy an extra thirty PlayStations, plus twelve cooling systems to make sure that the brand-new consoles didn't melt.

Rin was completely giddy. Her new 'toy' was apparently the best thing she's ever seen. She was able to hack unseen and undetected into multiple systems, making her capable of controlling pretty much anything, anywhere, anytime. She was now capable of having somebody killed in Uzbekistan if she wanted. Of course, she didn't do anything really bad. 'Get arrested' wasn't on her to-do list.

But getting Lily's account back was a matter of only a half hour. Though she wasn't able to find any traces towards the hacker yet; Crypton had called them all in before she was able to do much.

And what a schedule they had. They needed to pose for photos, have magazine interviews, compose, sing, talk, shake hands, meet people…Miku hadn't seen Meiko, Kaito, Gakupo, Neru, Haku and Gumi all day, though she had crossed the others in the halls from time to time.

None of them accepted any interviews. They wanted to tell their story once the whole ordeal was over, not earlier. Though their managers tried to make them agree, they just flat-out refused. Normally they would be forced to comply with their manager's command, but right now they were too important for Crypton. And boy, did they enjoy that privilege once Neru pointed it out.

Miku sighed, feeling slightly lonely. Luka wasn't there with her, but was posing for a special photo-shoot for her song 'Blackjack', which she finished before the fundraiser.

Speaking about the fundraiser, Crypton itself was practically begging for the teens to sell their songs to them. Though the prices they offered for the copyright claims were high, none accepted. When even Lily refused to give her song, everybody was shocked, and paparazzi started flying around her.

Lily was getting her face all around, apparently. She went from a shadow to full-fledged idol. Sure, before she had her own popularity-era, but that died when Miku stepped up. She claimed that she didn't want the stress of having a rival anymore, so practically quit. But being _with_ Miku, Luka and the others made her enjoy a little fun every now and then. She stepped out of the darkness, and re-claimed a throne that once was hers.

But when she refused to sell an expensive copyright claim, that was something totally new. Not only was she friends with those whom were supposed to be her rivals, not only was she always spending time with them, but she was also getting…reasonable? It couldn't be described.

Not only that, but she also pushed away interviews on that specific subject.

Just as she was thinking how well everything was going right then, Miku was pulled from her thoughts as somebody bumped into her.

"Well…excuse me…" apologized Miku as the indiscernible figure disappeared into the crowd, not even stopping. She bit her lip, honestly feeling sorry for disturbing people simply because she was on the moon.

"Ah, Miku!" greeted mentioned diva's manager. "How is everything?" Miku shrugged.

"I just finished recording 'Say Hell-o', and was going to search for Luka" he nodded.

"Well, when I left her, Luka was just done with her shoot. She should be in the cafeteria right now."

"Great, thank you, Senpai!" he stopped her from running away, calling her back.

"You two, you and Luka, you're pretty close, aren't you?" he asked, with a small smile. Miku turned to face him fully, nodding. Her smile hadn't disappeared, but it was clear that she was now…in uncharted territory.

Instead of digging deeper into the question, he smiled and walked off. Miku nearly sighed in relief; she wasn't just that ready for the entire world to know about them.

Wondering just when that day would come, she turned around and left for the cafeteria.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Miku!" greeted Meiko. She was sitting at a cafeteria table with Kaito, Rin, Len and Gumi. "How's life?"<p>

"Great!" replied the star, taking a seat next to Gumi. She looked around. "Where are the others?" in reality she was primarily wondering where Luka was. Meiko shrugged.

"Eh…Lily is super-duper busy talking with her manager…"

"Really?" asked the tealette. A growing worry for the taller blonde grew in her stomach; the manager still hadn't changed much. Maybe he was mad now that Lily refused to accept a lot of money and publicity.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it. Last I checked, she was fine with the guy"

"And the others?" this time, Kaito replied.

"Gakupo is composing a song, Neru and Haku are still posing for photos, I heard. Luka must be done by now…"

"Talking about me?" Miku turned around to see the most valuable thing in her life.

"Luka~!" she cheered, jumping in the taller girl's arms. "I missed you~…" the pinkette chuckled.

"I missed you, too"

"Ok, love-doves; stop making cheese and come eat!" interrupted Meiko, smile on her face. The couple complied, pouting at the 'cheesy' joke, while the others laughed merrily.

"So, how is life? Looking bright, eh?" asked Kaito. Miku nodded.

Everything seemed perfect right then.

* * *

><p>"Hello?" asked a very concentrated voice. Gakupo smiled, listening to the voice coming from the phone at his ear.<p>

"Hey, it's Gakupo~!"

"Ah, yeah. Hi…" he raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you?"

"Crypton…" she answered, still sounding as if her mind was somewhere else.

"Here? But…where? I haven't seen you all day!"

"Just had lunch with Luka, Miku, Kaito, Gumi and brother…am now in the main hall" he rolled his eyes.

"In front of the computers, right?" he asked, amused.

"Yeah…"

"Doing what?"

"Hacking into Crypton's system"

"What?" he asked, unsure he heard right.

"Password to access PlayStations at home…getting rid of blog…doing it now while Usui isn't watching…"

"Aha~…"

"Can I hang up? Typing with one hand is a pain"

"Sure~!" he answered with a smile before hanging up himself. Kaito turned towards him. He had just come back from lunch; Gakupo was too busy to come with him. The purple-haired boy put down the phone.

"So, where is she? She just ran out of the cafeteria like lightning" Gakupo smiled.

"Getting rid of the Crypton blog. She seemed pretty strained" Kaito smiled.

"She just keeps going to the computers whenever her manager just turns his back, doesn't she?"

"Yes…"

"I wonder why she's always so motivated…" wondered the blue-haired boy. He shrugged with a smile. "Well, it's for the best, isn't it?" the taller singer nodded.

Suddenly, a loud, triumphant yell echoed through the halls and buildings.

"What was that?" asked Kaito, bewildered.

"That must be-"

"I DID IT~!"

"Rin…" both boys rushed downstairs, pushing past anybody in their way. They preferred to take the stairs, and sprinted down them three steps at a time. At the fourth floor, they crossed Meiko, who wordlessly joined them in their mini-marathon.

"Heard it, too?" asked the blue-haired singer. Meiko smirked.

"How could I not?" all three grinned, and continued running. Gumi, Len, Neru, Haku and even Miku and Luka joined them on the second floor, yelling audible behind them.

"Ditching, are we?" teased Meiko between pants, hearing the 'come back's' that the singers had left behind. Gumi glared at her.

"We all heard it, so shut up!"

They finally arrived at the main hall, where Rin was yelling joyfully, staring at one of the numerous screens in front of her, eyes wide and a wider smile on her face. When the group stopped in front of her, she glanced at them. They could see the tears of happiness running down her cheeks.

"I did it! I took the blog down!" she said, hands to her cheeks, laughing and crying at the same time out of pure ecstasy. "It's gone! It did it…I DID IT~!" she yelled, repeating the heavenly phrase over and over again.

The group of friends, singers, lovers, cheered. They gathered around the exited blonde, the latter getting praises from left and right, hugs from Miku and kisses from her brother. Tears of joy, relief, pure, imperishable, unbreakable joy and happiness ran down everybody's cheeks.

This hell was over.

Everything was over!

* * *

><p>Meiko hummed happily. The tracks from the tears of bliss she had shed hours ago were still present; the salty paths seemed almost holy to everybody's eyes; nobody had dared clean their faces.<p>

Meiko laughed again, almost randomly, just thinking about the whole ordeal they had come over. She had laughed, cried, smiled, for hours on end with her companions. It felt like Christmas, except better, much better.

Her merry, joyous laughs died down to a chuckle, thinking as she sat on her home couch. Everybody had gone home about an hour ago. No parties, this time; they knew that alcohol and festivity would ruin this pure moment in their lives. Crypton had forced them to keep working to the end of the day, but they didn't mind. On the contrary; they worked three times harder. Their songs had raw emotions infused in them; happy ones, sad ones, memories, and hateful promises.

Of course, the trail wasn't really over yet. They still had to catch the bandit. But…couldn't life wait for a moment? Couldn't life let them savor this moment?

Meiko felt more happy tears spill from her chocolate eyes. The ever-present smile deepened as she thought.

Hello, normal life~! The blogger and his blogs, gone~! All problems are over with~!

She stretched, still smiling, still crying. Once her spine had relaxed, a tune caught her ear. She forgot for a moment that the radio was playing; she was so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't heard it until then.

Suddenly she opened her eyes, hearing that it was Miku's voice.

"I don't know this song…" she said to herself, turning the volume higher. She listened for a few moments before her face turned whiter than a sheet. "Holy desks…"

Heaven lost its crystal wings and plummeted down into a dark, endless abyss.

Forget the blog, forget the billboards! _This_ was real. This was…

"Impossible!" she yelled, her previous tears of happiness replaced by drops of outrage and disgust.

* * *

><p>Neru sighed happily.<p>

Everything was-

Her thoughts were interrupted as her phone blared through the room. She grumbled, though her happy mood didn't dissipate. How could anything ruin this?

She picked up her favorite device, and answered the call.

"Hell-?"

"NERU! LISTEN TO THIS, AND TELL ME I'M ROAD-ROLLING HALLUCINATING!" blared Meiko. Before Neru could question what the brunette was talking about, a song was heard. Neru sighed, but listened anyway. Her face fell.

"Wha…?"

"AM I DREAMING?" asked Meiko, desperate.

Neru gulped audible, paler than a ghost. Her entire reality had fallen three light-years down the drain.

"No"

She hung up, jaw slightly agape. With trembling fingers, she composed a number. She hoped with all of her might that the person she was calling wouldn't pick up.

Every ring was torture as Neru was forced to remember what she had heard.

At the first ring, she was re-listening to foul words of cruelty and filth. The notes struck her recalling ears like hammer blows to the head.

At the second, Neru swallowed, the phone slipping slightly in her already sweaty palm. She wasn't supposed to be expressive, but her body's automatic reactions to fear and confusion were already acting up.

When the third ring was heard, Neru's train of remembering stopped.

How was this possible? How could Miku have…said such cruelties? Once again, it must be the blogger at work, with his fantastic hacking and amazing technologic intelligence he must possess. Have a song played by a radio station is child's play if you can hack freaking Crypton. But…

How in world's name did he have Miku sing that?

Neru's heart seemed to stop when Miku finally answered the phone.

* * *

><p>Everybody was assembled in Miku's small apartment. It was an emergency assembly, and most didn't know yet why they were there. Only Neru and Meiko knew, and both were pale and trembling slightly.<p>

"What is it?" asked Miku, carefully. Meiko swallowed audibly.

How could they possibly tell Miku what they just heard? Just when everything seemed fine? Could they take away a hope that had just been given to her?

They scanned the room. Everybody was looking at them with curious eyes. No, not only curious; frightened. They were scared of how they were acting, and what they could possibly say.

Neru inhaled.

"We…heard something. On the radio"

"It's…really, really bad" inserted Meiko with a weak breath. She felt absolutely sick. Hearing Miku's voice say such profanities just didn't fit. It didn't fit the slightest; the way she saw Miku was forever changed and altered.

The room remained silent after the duo spoke.

"What is it?" asked Kaito, voice strained. All were still calm, but Neru and Meiko just knew that once they knew, chaos would break out.

They were finally living the impossible. The situation had left reason's limits.

"A…song" breathed the cell-phone addict. She didn't look half as bad as Meiko, but she felt just as terrible on the inside.

Somebody has taken Miku's absolutely innocent, kind, almost childish looks and her generous, serious, fun-loving attitude and put it in a blender. Somebody had the nerve to ignore everything Miku has ever done, old and recent, and create such a monstrosity.

This thought made Neru's disgust and sickness dissolve into a thick mist of rage. It's there, but she couldn't feel it.

"Please, Miku. Please tell me you didn't sing this" begged Meiko, before holding out her phone. She pressed 'play', on the most recent recording. A slightly muffled sound came from the device, but it was unmistakably Miku's voice, with a song in the background. Meiko had gagged herself with a pillow to make sure that she didn't scream and just shut up the radio right there and then before the recording was done.

The song was long, almost seven minutes. Meiko had managed to record three of those minutes. One of the minutes she missed was when she hadn't been listening. Two of those, she was speaking with Neru and just sitting there with the phone to her ear, and the last she missed when she was fumbling with the device to get to the recording.

Everybody stayed stone silent as the song played. Refrain, verse, refrain again, and with every second that passed, something happened. A gasp, a breath released with a shudder, a loud swallow, a hand to the mouth in either shock or disgust. All had their different reactions, but the outcome was the same; this was revolting.

When the recording stopped, Lily didn't wait a second.

"What the hell was that?" she yelled. "This has to be a prank! This can't be real!" Len shook his head, overcome with horrible memories and feelings of guilt from the past.

"This isn't a prank" spoke the boy, pale as everybody else. "Pranks aren't…supposed to kill" he finally finished. They all turned to Miku as a reflex.

Indeed, Miku was whiter than white. It was almost as if she had gone back into the forest and back again.

"Then explain, genius, how the hell this was done!" hollered the taller blonde, thrown into a fit of rage. "How could anybody make Miku sing that stuff?" everybody cowered under her raging eyes. The blonde turned towards Miku, and Luka who were standing beside her; the only two who didn't shy away from her inexplicably mad reaction. "And what do you say about this, huh? Why the hell are you taking the news so well?" she asked.

Luka turned towards the older singer.

"Do you dare think…that this is making me happy?" she asked through gritted teeth. "Do you DARE think that I'm going to let this fly by?"

"Agh, all you ever do is help!" shot back Lily. This sent Luka in a blind rage.

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"You just follow us as we make plans and actually DO stuff!"

"I can say the same for you!" entered Rin. "I'm the one who did the most work here!"

"Ha, clicking behind a computer? Come on, anybody can do that once you PURCHASED more than a hundred systems!" sneered Lily.

"Hey, we all worked hard to release your account!" shot back Meiko.

"We didn't even ask you to help!" added Luka.

They had snapped. The whole group, with Miku as the only exception, had snapped into a million pieces. Everybody was blaming everybody for the horrible catastrophe. A storm filled the house; the previous silent, anxious cloud had turned into a tsunami of pent-up anger, frustration, and fatigue. The group who was once invincible had dissolved. Everything had exploded into an irreversible chaos.

Miku was sitting in her chair, torn apart, not capable of even moving. Yells surrounded her, memories flooded back, and the horrible lyrics to the song nagged at the back of her mind. There was nowhere to go, no way to escape this painful reality. Her mind was betraying her with images she didn't want to see. The present situation was ice-cold, and her lover was quarreling with and against everybody else. In the distance, a door slammed.

Tears streamed from her eyes; hearing their angry voices, _her _angry voice made her want to go deaf.

"STOP!"

The massive sound made everything freeze. Miku trembled from head to toe, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Stop it, all of you! Do any of you have any idea how hard this is for ME?" everybody watched as Miku woke up from the precedent horror to realization, then colder-than-cold anger. "I'm the one being threatened here! I'm the one that's being insulted! I'm the one who is being attacked! And while I'm here, needing support, you're all bickering!"

Miku panted, while the others just stared with an expression mixed with amazement, sadness, fear, and guilt. Luka was frozen, regret having planted itself down into the deepest depths of her soul.

Miku calmed down again. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, trying to find the words to pick up the shattered pieces.

"We…we all did our work, here. I couldn't ask for better friends than you…I couldn't ask for anything better. But please…" she gasped. "I've been alone for most of my life! If you give me the greatest thing in the world, and fling it away…" the girl swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Then those threats mean nothing. I don't care if we have an obstacle that ruined our hopes; as long as it isn't a perfect life I had for barely a few weeks that's thrown out the window!" she yelled.

Desperation, hope, disgust, love, fear, regret…it was a strange mixture of these feelings that swam around Miku's mind right at that moment.

Kaito inhaled deeply, unclenching his fists.

"Sorry…" he whispered. Gumi wiped her forehead, expression pained.

"It's just that…it's getting so scary, all of a  
>sudden" she explained.<p>

"It's surreal, now" spoke Gakupo, pinching his temples.

Miku looked over at Luka. Hearing the girl that had taken possession of her heart speak so vehemently, coating with insult and blame those flaming words had terrified her more than anything ever had.

But what scared her now was that the pinkette hadn't shed a single tear...she hadn't shed a single tear.

But when Miku crossed Luka's eyes, she nearly suffocated. A knot the size of a tennis ball grew in her throat, her fingers numbed.

Luka's eyes were filled with incomparable regret.

The smaller singer smiled weakly, opening her arms towards her companion of body and soul.

Both wept into each other's arms, seeking refuge, sanity, pardon, comfort and love.

This was pushing the reality bar too far. It was now beyond a nightmare, it was beyond tolerable. It was beyond comprehension.

The others watched as the couple wept openly, hearts heavy, and stomachs twisted.

What hell had just started, if the most powerful love in the world was starting to crumble?

* * *

><p>The room; the whole house, was dead silent. The atmosphere was tense, strange. Everything was hanging by a thread that was just about to snap.<p>

Lily had left during the fight; nobody knows why she snapped like that, but everybody had unhinged and gone wild. But her cheery and unbounded happiness was definitely absent, making life seem darker than before.

Rin was trying to analyze the data from the song. To do that she had had to install a few new programs, and needed to download a clean, unscratched version of the horrible song.

A half an hour had passed since the huge emotional explosion. Miku still hiccuped every now and then, swaying softly back and forth in Luka's arms. Meiko, Neru, Haku and Gakupo were drinking coffee, simply to have something to do. Kaito was playing with his ever-present scarf, and Gumi was nibbling distractedly on a carrot, slightly more upset than the others showed. Len was thinking hard, while Rin was using the home computer, clicking away. A soft sound could be heard coming from her earphones as she played and re-played; re-examined the song. Finally, she took the earphones off.

At the slight motion, everybody turned towards her. Rin inhaled deeply.

"I…it's your voice, Miku. The sound waves, the pronunciation…everything is exactly how you would sound if you really sung that…"

"How can that be?" asked Luka, quiet and strained.

"I don't know" replied Rin with a sigh. "I really don't know"

A silence followed, and was broken every once and a while when Meiko took a sip from her drink.

"It's insane…it's completely insane" she mumbled.

Len was still thinking hard, a drop of sweat rolling down his temple.

After a few minutes, he got up, and asked to speak alone with his sister, leaving the others in the living room.

He shut the door to the hall, and turned towards the blonde girl in front of him.

"Rin…I think I may know how this was done" he whispered. He sounded afraid, terrified even. His simple gaze was what stopped Rin from jumping of joy.

"Really…?"

"Yeah…could it be done, if Miku's voice had been recorded? And if every possible sound she made was saved into a program, where the maker only had to change pitch, intensity, things like that?"

The question slowly sunk into Rin's mind. She pieced it together slowly, taking her time thinking about all the little details, anything that could prove this possibility a fake one. She wasn't allowed to make any mistakes.

But the realization dawned upon her quickly.

"Yes…it's possible"

At this answer, Len breathed out uncomfortably. He ran a hand through his hair, breathing through gritted teeth.

"I…" he caught his breath. "The night…when we did the fundraiser, remember?" Rin nodded. "We had a little party, afterwards"

"Little? You made out with Neru on the couch 'till you fell asleep…!" inserted the girl. Len nearly snapped.

"This isn't time for such things, Rin! I discovered something I feel that I shouldn't have! And I feel so terrible, right now…!"

Rin's face fell, the gravity of the situation becoming more present.

"What did you find?"

"I…found a recorder…in Luka's nightstand"

A dead silence followed.

"What…?"

"I didn't mean to! I mean…Miku asked for tissues -don't ask why- and I didn't know who's nightstand was who's, and I picked random, opened Luka's, found this black thing, and being drunk I fumbled with it and Miku's voice came from it! I swear, I didn't mean to!" Len was yelling between his clenched teeth, sweat running down his face. His eyes were filed with regret, sorrow and terror.

Rin gulped loudly.

"Wha…what would happen…if it really was Luka?" whispered Rin, careful.

The idea seemed absurd. Luka, attack Miku in such a way?

And yet…if one ignored their undying love, she seemed like a perfect candidate. She knew her way around computers (and had proven it multiple times), she knew Miku well enough, and she spent a lot of time with Miku…

But so many things went against the idea…and yet too little. There wasn't enough data, and yet there was too much. They couldn't find what they really wanted.

Luka went to Crypton almost daily; she could have easily accessed the computers. The last day of school, when she and Rin were cleaning the computer rooms, Luka spent a long time behind the screens. And the pinkette was also the only one who would be able to take a picture of Miku for those billboards…though they doubted that it was a picture (why the hell would they take pictures of each other? They were in love, not some horny teens from some erotic doujin!); it was mostly likely a drawing done by computer. She was also left alone most of the time with Miku, and Miku was either sleeping or with her, giving her enough time to do all this…

She REALLY did seem perfect.

"But…how could she…?" asked Rin.

"I don't know…but in any case…I'm…" Len swallowed heavily.

"Luka is now our suspect number one" finished his twin.

* * *

><p>The twins didn't dare share their new discovery with the others, even less with Miku, or Luka herself. If Miku learned it, she might throw a tantrum, and if their theories proved to be right, she might literally die from sorrow and raw, mental pain.<p>

But Rin wanted to be sure. She needed to see the recorder, and needed to hear Miku's voice come from it. After all, Len was drunk; he could have dreamed the whole thing!

She snuck into the two diva's rooms, and found it perfectly neat and tidy. She stepped over to one of the nightstands, and opened the drawer. Apparently she landed on Luka's, and there was the same black box Len had described.

Rin's shaking fingers took a hold of the device; it was indeed a recorder.

She wondered what would happen, if Luka really was the blogger. Chaos would ensue; they would have to arrest her, making an enormous scandal worldwide. And worst of all, it would kill Miku on the inside.

But a relieving doubt still filled her; what were Luka's motives? She was a top-paid singer at one of the best music companies worldwide; what else could she want?

But still, holding this object in her hands made her know; the moment she would push the 'play' button, her view of the pinkette would turn upside down.

It terrified her beyond compare.

With a trembling finger, she slowly approached the dreaded switch. A small click was heard as she slowly pushed down the plastic.

Fire burned her stomach as a dreadful sound filled her ears; Miku's voice, speaking clear sentences, came from the device.

Rin couldn't help but listen for a few minutes. She listened to Miku speak about this and that, sigh, laugh, cry, yell…and speak mostly every single sound needed to make a song.

Rin gulped; in her hand was the object that would send Luka in jail. If they sent her there…

Rin couldn't take it. She leapt to her feet and ran to the living room. Luka wasn't there; she was in the kitchen, getting Miku a glass of water. She rushed into the kitchen, and felt her breath catch as her eyes landed on the singer.

Yes, now that she knew that Luka was the most important suspect in this case, she didn't see her the same. Was she really as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside? Was the sad expression on her face sincere?

She gulped, and strode forward, surprising herself by half expecting Luka to throw the glass at her face.

"Uh…Luka…?" the pinkette turned towards her.

"Yes?" Rin help up the device, almost shyly.

"Is this yours?" the blonde asked.

Luka looked down at the recorder, freezing over. Her eyes widened, and her posture stiffened; this reaction made Rin's fear double.

"W…where did you find this?" asked the taller singer, sounding worried, puzzled, and almost mad. The tone scared Rin skinless.

"Uh…"

"Never mind…" replied the taller singer. She observed the recorder again, still frozen. She looked at Rin. "I think it might be mine, thank you" was all she said, before putting it in her pocket, and leaving the room.

Rin wanted to pass out.

* * *

><p>"This…is bad~…" whispered Rin, to her brother. He nodded.<p>

Both were in Rin's room. It was close to midnight, the two speaking in shushed whispers to avoid waking their parents. The darkness was surrounding them; they couldn't see anything, but it was clear that Rin was sitting on the ground and Len in his bed. Both were in their pajamas; tired, scared, and sleepless.

Rin had wanted to hold her tongue about what she had discovered, but the burden of the facts hadn't lasted a day. She caved in five minutes beforehand, after waking up an only half-asleep Len. The boy had listened with a deathly feeling in his gut, unknowing of what to do.

He had committed crimes, before. He had wanted to topple Miku and Luka from the music industry. And yet…he had never done anything THIS bad.

"It…is" he answered. Both were breathing heavily from fear of what the future might bring.

Was their friend…really such a person?

"I mean…she couldn't do this! But…"

"All arrows point in her direction…" he finished.

Both shared an uncomfortable silence.

"I don't think I can keep this secret for very long, Len…" whispered the girl. "I mean…I have to tell somebody! I can't keep this!"

The boy remained silent.

"What would happen, if we told anybody? I mean…"

"Everything is now so unsure…" stuttered the girl. Tears were running down her cheeks as she bit her lip and thumb. "What should we do?"

"What can we do…?" asked Len. "We can't confront Luka herself…if she really is the person who did this, then I don't have the slightest doubt she would be…" he gulped. "With all the horrible things she would have done…she could…be capable of…" he exhaled heavily.

"M-m…"

"Murder" he finished. At the word, Rin nearly cried out loud.

"She can't! She can't be the one!" Len's hands tightened into fists.

"If she isn't…then she'd get mad at the accusation, for sure, but then we'd be lost, again…"

"I prefer that path, by far…"

"Who else could we talk to?" he asked. Rin calmed down slightly at the question.

"Maybe…Gakupo…I mean; he must know her the best"

"What about Meiko and Kaito?" asked the boy. "Meiko was her best friend since forever"

"I don't know…you saw how everybody was today. We all just…" she exhaled, trying to catch her breath. "I feel most comfortable speaking with Gakupo" she stated, more or less firm.

He sighed.

"Very well…we'll talk to him tomorrow" the girl seemed surprised about his answer. He swallowed, before making a last statement. "I don't think I'll be able to keep my mouth shut about this for much longer either"

* * *

><p>The whole group was forced to work the next day. Pulled from their comfortable seats where they were able to shelter themselves from the freezing, insane reality; they trudged to work, eyes somber, and mood crushing.<p>

Miku didn't dare let go of Luka's arm; everything was so scary right then. But at the sight of the smaller singer clutching to her love, the twins winced, and looked away, without anybody noticing.

They hadn't slept; the thought of Luka being such a cruel, selfish person tore them to shreds. It made them feel doubt; did Luka ever see Miku more than just an idol to wipe away from her throne? Did she ever see her as she girl that loved her? Did Luka ever stop thinking of Miku as a plaything? Did any of the past occurrences, the months in the forest, the weeks in the hospital, mean anything at all?

For the first time, the duo doubted her. They doubted Megurine Luka, the one who was supposed to be their friend, and had now, unknowingly, turned into their biggest fear.

When they arrived at Crypton, things continued almost as normal; though the twins were constantly haunted. The morning sped by, lunch was passed in total silence (though everybody did seem slightly better), and the afternoon started. But, just as Len was going to a costume trial for his latest song, the manager walked up to him.

"Len, you and the others are asked to come to an assembly. Please follow me"

Len raised a brow; why was Usui acting so cold? He seemed troubled, too.

A burning fear started dissolving his senses; did this have to do with their recent discoveries?

Nevertheless, he followed the normally jovial man. They picked up Rin and Gumi, and headed off.

The room was slightly cold; or it only seemed to be because of the cold atmosphere and plagued thoughts. Miku, Luka, Neru and Haku were already there; Neru texting on her phone. None spoke, leaving Rin, Len and Gumi to sit in total silence, ignorant of anything that was happening.

Shortly after, Kaito, Meiko and Gakupo entered the room as well. They did the same as the previous trio; sit in silence, without any words to answer their silent questions. When they were all seated and dead silent, the leading duo's manager entered the room.

"Good afternoon, everyone…then again, not so good…" he trailed off. Immediately, everybody understood that he had heard the song as well; the man was avoiding Miku's eyes.

After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, the short man inhaled.

"Well…I have some unexpected news for all of you. Meiko, Kaito, Gakupo, Gumi, Rin and Len are going on a small tour, around the northern parts of Japan, for sightseeing and such"

A silence, a different one that the previous, filled the room.

"What?" asked Neru. "SIGHTSEEING?"

"Why?" questioned Gakupo.

"Why them?" inquired Haku, puzzled.

The uniform-clad man silenced them with raised hands.

"I didn't make this decision. The head of Crypton wrote this down; apparently they want their newest idols to relax, get their heads out of the suffocating situations here…" he rubbed his chin, puzzled.

"If they really wanted that, then why didn't they let Miku go with them? Or me, or Neru and Haku?" asked Luka, her tone cold. The man raised his shoulders. When she spoke, the twins looked at her out of the corner of their eyes. Was this a game? A cruel play to divert all attention from her cruel deeds?

"I don't know. I really don't…but you two have a lot of work to do anyways. You've all been slacking these past days. Then again, it wasn't really your fault. Also, Neru and Haku need to learn more of the art that is composing"

"So do I!" interrupted Gakupo. "Our only composing talents were learned from our music teacher; otherwise we're beginners!"

"And what Neru and Haku managed to compose wasn't amateur work, either" added Kaito.

"Listen, all of you. I really don't know what going on. Frankly, nothing has been making sense these past times. Why don't you all just…comply, relax, and come back with your heads clear?"

Rin and Len looked at each other, hearing the others grumble slight answers, most a hesitant positive.

If they all went…then that would leave Miku alone with Luka.

* * *

><p>Rin and Len were petrified half the time; the tour had been scheduled to be taken place in a week. Neru and Haku weren't the slightest jealous of the others, on the contrary. They didn't want to leave their homes at such a critical hour.<p>

Luka…Rin and Len had been keeping a very close eye on her, despite themselves. And they could only see with dread that more and more little proofs were added to their list. An unplaced smile here, an unexplained exit there, a quick escape from the computer. And that dreaded recorder…it followed the pinkette everywhere.

Not only that, but as the days trickled by, long and filled with uncertainty, two more songs were released. Both were utterly terrible and horribly catchy. When they were heard on the radio, or when someone would make the slightest trip in their words, everybody present would just explode; even Miku let go once, exploding like a bomb. The only ones who remained silent were the twins as they observed the horrendous show in front of them.

The only one who seemed as quiet as the two blondes was Gumi; she was silent most of the time, and was upset and easily brought to tears. She didn't fight, unless she was brought into it. Then, she would yell louder than most, and point some of the cruelest fingers.

Nobody, not even Crypton, had heard of Lily since the first fight. No calls, no texts, not even a word from her in the paper. Nothing.

Two days before the sightseeing trip, the third song was released. This time, before anybody could yell or break, Miku collapsed into tears.

Rin and Len saw it; the blogger, the artist, the composer, was slowly, oh so slowly breaking Miku's mind. Being fought with the one thing you can find refuge in was horrible; it was cracking Miku like the forest never could.

The woods were a mental test, for sure. The loneliness and uncertainty if she would get out would be too difficult for most to withstand. The animal's constant challenging didn't make it easier. But now, she was alone to be taking all the hits, all the blows. While the others supported her, helped whenever they could. She was absorbing every insult, every single punch to the gut.

The blogger knew exactly where to hit, which little mental chords to pull. This observation made the twins quiver; Luka knew her the best, to be able to pull the job off so smoothly.

The day before the group left for the tour, Gumi shuffled form her silent corner and approached the others as they were entering the building. Silent and almost depressed, she had difficulty finding were to start. But finally, she got to the point.

"Since most of us are leaving, tomorrow…I was thinking that we could all sleep here. Miku did it before, right? And we all got our little office, and sleeping at one of our houses is just a little crammed…" she hesitated, but she continued before anybody else could answer. "It's just…we're going to spend a long time separated, and it's been hard these past weeks…I just thought…" the greenette drifted off.

"That's a great idea, Gumi!" said Luka with a smile. "Let's spend our time together while we can, right?" Gumi nodded.

The others took a liking to the idea, and before they knew it, everything was in order. All of their parents understood and let them have their way. Miku said that Crypton wouldn't mind at the slightest, as long as we didn't touch anything; nobody else really slept there in her knowledge, so they would be able to have fun 'till late. But they shouldn't go in the halls; there was camera surveillance 24/7.

The day trickled by as slowly as the others, but everybody was looking forward to their night stay at Crypton. Just the thought of them being ALONE in such a big building exited them.

The evening finally arrived, and after a nice dinner that they managed to bring during lunch, all gathered in Miku's 'room'.

"So, what activity first?" asked Gakupo as he settled down on a pillow between Rin and Kaito. Miku shrugged.

"I was thinking we could just talk a bit; seems like we all need it…"

"Aren't we here to forget?" asked Meiko, already opening a bottle of sake, that she got from who-knows-where. Neru shut her phone.

"Well…I admit; we could have more fun afterwards if we get this off of our minds" Len raised a hand.

"I know!" he nearly yelled.

Just before he was going to say anything, however, he froze. Was what he was going to propose really going to help?

Instead, he swallowed his fear and spoke.

"Why don't we just…talk about the blogger?" he proposed.

Time froze, his heart thumping in his throat.

_Throb._

He stared to his left. Rin had frozen as well, trying to imagine what Luka was thinking right then, after hearing those words. If she really was that hacker…

His gaze drifted towards Gakupo, who was right next to his sister. Kaito, then Meiko, Gumi, Haku…all were looking at him.

_Throb_.

His eyes landed on Miku, and finally Luka, who was staring directly at him.

_Throb._

_Throb._

_Throb, throb._

"That's a great idea!" yelled Meiko, as time resumed at its normal pace. Kaito shrugged, and Len was still frozen from Luka's stare.

"Hmm…I don't really see the point" spoke the blue-haired boy.

"Me neither…" added Luka, staring straight into Len's soul.

The blonde boy ripped his gaze from Luka's, and stared at the ground.

"Well…we'd get to talk about it…and I guess it won't be boring, either! I mean…we all must have had something on our minds about him." he tried to sound as positive as possible, but Luka's burning glare burned the back of his head.

"I'm going to for it~!" said Meiko. "I have been thinking about the broken popsicle stick, at the very least!" Kaito laughed, and rubbed her head.

"I know that…not only thinking, by the way"

"Stuff a sock in it, eat your fist, stick your head in a box of sand in the truck of a car and shut it!" menaced Meiko, before smiling. "But…that's exactly what I'll do to the blogger when I find him…and worse~!"

"I'm sure you will" said Kaito with a smile.

"But you gotta think; what would make somebody do things like that?" asked Haku. "I mean…I can't imagine somebody can hate anybody enough to make them suffer like that…"

"Great question" replied Neru.

"Comes from upbringing, probably" mumbled Gakupo.

"What miserable family offers their kids enough equipment to hack freaking Crypton?" asked Meiko.

"She has a point…" mumbled Miku.

"Then it's the other way around~!" declared the brunette. The group looked at her.

"What do you mean?" asked Gumi, looking up from the square piece of paper she found.

"The kid was spoiled rotten! He gets everything he wants, and now that Miku just…maybe didn't sign his piece of paper or what the cheese, he wants to ruin her life!"

"That sounds a little excessive…" mumbled Haku.

"You have no idea how parents have influence on their children" said Luka. She looked over at the twins. "Do you two have anything to say?"

Len gulped, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"Well…I'm wondering what would happen…when we discover who it really is" he mumbled. He felt as Rin relaxed at his improvised answer; he always seemed to know how his sister felt.

The room was completely silent, surprising the twins. They expected an outburst of insults and vows of torture; especially from Meiko…they started doubting Luka would participate….

"I…guess it depends…" mumbled Kaito.

"If it's a friend turned bad…" mumbled Gumi, freezing over, almost ripping the paper in her hands.

"A coworker from Crypton…" whispered Miku.

"Family…" added Rin.

"Maybe even…one of us" finished Len.

The room stayed silent. Nobody knew what to say or do, simply because one thought was shared by all; it was possible. It WAS possible, that the blogger was in that room, right then.

They had lived enough to believe it. If Miku and Luka could survive the forest, if Meiko managed to actually swear more than once, if somebody managed to take over their lives…then the evildoer could just very well be sitting right next to his victim.

The thought froze them over.

They couldn't feel more doubt then they did right there and then. Their whole lives started feeling like an illusion.

"Shall we suppose…that it's somebody we don't know?" tried Haku, breaking the ice. Meiko didn't hesitate a second, and tightened her fist.

"I would punch him in the gut 'till his balls are in his throat!"

"What if it's a girl…?" suggested Gakupo. Meiko froze for a second, before regaining her composure.

"I would punch her until her boobs grow from her back!"

"Ouch" mumbled Gumi, without looking up from her paper.

"Well, do you have a better…?" asked the brunette, looking at the green-haired girl.

"Sure I do~" she replied, and held up the piece of paper.

Said paper wasn't exactly square anymore; in fact, it was carefully folded to resemble a fish. Even if it was only two centimeters in length, they could all see the carefully folded fins and face, with little eyes and small 'whiskers'.

"You folded a carp" deadpanned Meiko, half in awe from the simple folding. Though, she had no idea how much effort was put into the tiny animal, and how many times it's been creased and pushed.

"It's a koi"

"Same thing"

"Not. In any case, I'd take the criminal and bend him or her, whatever, in the exact same way I bended this piece of paper"

"You'll turn the blogger into a fish?"

"You wanna try? Seriously; there are over fifty creases in this thing"

"No, thanks...you, Gakupo, what would you do?"

"You're changing the subject" interrupted Gumi.

"AM NOT! Gakupo…?"

The boy laughed.

"Eh, it can't get much worse than your punishments, can it…?"

"Yes it can!" exclaimed Rin. "Crush him with a road roller and cut coins out of his flat remains!"

"You can overfeed him ice-cream~" everybody looked at Kaito. "What? Haven't any of you suffered from a major brain freeze? It hurts!" he explained.

"You're all mighty sadistic, aren't you?" said Neru. Everybody turned to her. The blonde ignored them as she typed on her cell.

"Well, he-"

"or she."

"OR SHE…did some pretty bad things to Miku" explained Rin, who was trying to avoid the gender possibility.

"But you don't hear her planning death plans, do you?" replied the texting girl.

At the statement, everybody turned to the most silent duo. Luka seemed just a little neutral, maybe a little upset, while Miku, who was leaning against her beloved, looked like a mix of emotions.

When the lead singer realized that the others were probably subconsciously waiting for her to say something, she started stuttering slightly.

"Well…" she inhaled, sitting up from Luka's shoulder. "Remember before…in school? You…you all made me feel horrible…" she paused. "Of course, on a less…damaging…level, but still…I wouldn't have ever dreamed of 'returning the favor'. It seems so insensitive: to hurt another being, for no reason" she took hold of Luka's hand "But…I forgave you all, didn't I? I didn't miss a second to give you all another chance. You didn't know me that well, and even if that's not a reason to tease me, that isn't a reason for me to never let you try again."

"Sure, this guy…or girl has taken it to the next level…but that doesn't mean he's ALL bad. See…even Len is a nice guy, and months ago, I wanted to flee from him. If you think that what he or she is doing right now is cruel and unjust, which is what I personally think,and I believe I have the right to, then don't become monsters yourselves. Really…we don't know him. He probably doesn't know us very well, either, despite what things look like. I'm not saying for all of us to go offer our souls to him, just…don't hurt somebody the way you've been hurt."

When Miku finished her little speech, Luka squeezed her hand.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. Miku smiled.

"It's ok~"

"Now that's just plain adorable~" cooed Meiko as Miku leaned against Luka once again, their fingers tightly intertwined.

The twins could only guess.

* * *

><p>12:00 at night.<p>

The group had quickly halted the 'blogger' talk, and proceeded to more fun activities. They created quite a ruckus, playing tag in the small room, or ridiculous hide-and-seek when there were no hiding places, but for maybe the first time in weeks, they forgot about the outside world.

Rin and Len were now convinced: Luka couldn't possibly be the bad guy. Sure, she was suspicious, sure, she had the worst arrows pointing in her direction…but she was so nice. It wasn't possible that somebody could carry a mask like that. The whole time they were playing, Luka would be a perfect lover for Miku, and an ideal friend for the others; pause the game when Haku stubbed her little toe, help Rin hide during 'Mission Impossible: Hide and Seek in Miku's Room', and comfort Gumi when somebody stepped on her fish (flattening it completely), and even give her a new piece of nice, untouched, just as small, square paper.

Len felt silly; how could they even suspect her? From the start the whole thing seemed messed up.

Yes, they had simply been impatient to end this case, and immediately started pointing fingers; mistakes were human, and they were happy that they kept their mouths shut about it.

The twins retired to their room/office, getting ready for bed. They were going for a trip the next day, and those who stayed had to work, so they couldn't stay up for eternity. Plus, the two blonde lookalikes were used to following a timely bed schedule; fatigue was working on them already.

In fact, everybody was getting ready for bed. They had decided to share rooms in pairs, so that nobody was alone and they all had enough room to sleep. Miku and Luka stayed together, as did Kaito with Meiko and the twins, while Neru shared with Haku, and Gumi shared with Gakupo. Completely forgetting about brushing their teeth (and Len felt that he was going to regret eating that anchovy pizza the next morning), they all got changed and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Miku woke with a start. A quick glance at the digital clock told her that it was roughly two in the morning. She only fell asleep two hours ago…how strange, it seemed like an eternity.<p>

But one question remained. Why did she wake up?

Miku sat up, and saw that Luka wasn't next to her.

She didn't feel the need to panic or feel any kind of fear: maybe Luka was just hungry in the middle of the night, or needed to go to the bathroom…

Miku quickly reminded herself that they were in Crypton. She vaguely wondered what Luka would do in this building at such an hour; searching for the bathroom, maybe? They were practically impossible to find at night, Miku knew.

She quickly got out of bed, feeling the ice-cold floor under her bare feet. She didn't mind though, and went on to open the door.

Crypton had never been so silent.

The halls, usually brightly lit, now seemed like the halls of a ghost house. Dark, and seemingly endless, it gave anybody who stood in the middle of an intersection feel lost and insignificant.

Miku shivered, closing the door behind her, hearing the sound echo. When she started walking, her ever step reverberated between the walls, sending more chills down her spine.

The dark, enclosed surroundings strongly reminded Miku of the forest. Though she knew that no animals were there at night, her tired, tortured mind couldn't help but entertain her nightmares by crafting the shadows and distorting the sounds.

Miku shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Still with some sleep in her eyes, she stumbled on, her feet already getting cold and her dreams already coming back.

Everything around her seemed so deserted and dark…despite having practically grown up in the building, the contrast was so strong that Miku couldn't help but feel quite lost.

Miku froze all movement.

Very, very vaguely, a little tune could be heard just a few halls further up. If it weren't for the freezing air and echoing walls, along with her trained ear, Miku knew that she wouldn't have ever heard it.

The lone idol hesitantly stepped forward, the small sound of her foot landing on the ground blocking the tune almost entirely. The music was so quiet…it was impossible to hear unless Miku stopped completely every now and then.

After a few minutes, the tune stopped. Miku, having advanced as slowly and quietly as possible, pouted. Her curiosity had distracted her…

Before Miku could even turn around, the melody started again. The singer, probably happier than she should have been, silently walked her way towards the unidentified song.

When she came to an intersection, the tune became noticeably louder. Miku turned towards the direction of the source, and continued trekking.

Meter after meter, Miku came slightly closer, until finally, it hit her.

She _knew _this song.

Ice filled her stomach as the building seemed to fall on top of her.

_This song._

Miku heard it far clearer now, and didn't hesitate to slowly walk towards the source.

Dread filled her as her fears were confirmed.

**_This song._**

She had heard it…after Neru and Meiko, white as sheets, made her listen to it. Before everybody exploded like firecrackers. Before Lily left and never came back.

**_This Song…_**

She finally reached the door, fingers trembling, barely standing on her own. She could hear HER voice speak words written by the devil just a few meters away.

She was in the recording area; and only one thought managed to register in Miku's mind.

_'The blogger is here…_**_right across this door_**_'_

She didn't have an idea of what she should do. Go back, and warn the others? Or catch him in the act, yell and make enough noise for the others to wake up and come.

Her hand was centimeters from the door handle. Just mere millimeters separated her from a probably terrifying truth.

Who could it be…?

Miku swallowed, and heard the sound echo at least five times, slower than they should. The song had stopped again; how long had she been standing there…?

Not seconds later, the song resumed. Miku's hand inched closer, but she was now trembling more than ever.

She was about to confront the being that had caused her NIGHTMARES, utter horrors, through a screen. The person who made her doubt life itself was just meters away from her, and the only thing that was separating them was a plank of wood.

Miku's clammy fingers finally found their place on the handle, but still she didn't turn it. She tested the cold metal, wondering just how difficult it would be to pull it down and push the door.

It seemed impossibly difficult.

Her heart was pounding in her ears and her breath was caught in her throat. Her free hand was playing with itself, and her feet were glued to the ground.

With a final intake of air, and pushed down.

The click was audible, and made a noise like thunder. The person in the other side of the door must have heard it, so without wasting another second, Miku swung the door open...

Everything around her died, shattered to pieces, and burned to ashes.

"NO!" she gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. "NO!" the girl stumbled backwards, as the blogger rushed forward.

Luka.

Miku couldn't stand straight, and collapsed on the wall behind her as Luka took a few careful steps towards her. Everything was spinning.

"What is it, Miku~?" asked Luka, her tone not caring in the least.

"NO!"

Everything started getting darker; Luka's face twisted into an evil grin, her teeth shining in the weak light.

"What's scaring you, Miku~?" the voice was horribly evil, taunting, challenging. Miku's heart raced into her throat as realization hit her.

It WAS Luka.

Miku didn't want to believe it; she would give her soul to the devil for proving the contrary, but it was so.

Luka…was…she…

"NO!" Miku screamed her despair. The one she did so much for…it couldn't be. It Couldn't Be.

Miku felt Luka's hands grab her wrists, and Miku pulled back violently, hitting her head. Luka couldn't…wouldn't…

But…she WAS. She WAS the blogger. She Was her biggest fear.

The thought sent Miku into living hell. The absolute horror of the thought not only made her heart tear apart and her stomach feel absolutely sick, but it shattered her sanity, tore all memories she had out of her mind.

"No!" she heard in the distance. Were the others there…?

"What's the matter, Miku~?" asked the voice again; twisted, contorted…absolutely evil, coming from the most beautiful person she had ever known.

"What's happening…"

"What are you…"

"What were…"

"Who…"

"Whe…"

"H…"

Miku couldn't hear the questions, the voices, the footsteps, the alarms, the sirens. Everything had gone black; the only thing that she could hear was her thundering heart, and the cruel, taunting song still playing in the background.

* * *

><p>Miku opened her eyes.<p>

She was dead.

No, her heart was beating, she was breathing, but she felt dead.

Yes, everything around her had lost its color. Nothing had a sense anymore.

She was dead on the inside, but forced to live on.

Luka…was the one who did this to her. Luka…betrayed her, right from the start.

"Ah…she...king up…"

"She…hit her…d…hard"

"Plea…Luka…jail?"

Miku twisted and turned, multiple voices ringing through her head, and around her. Why couldn't people leave her alone?

Was Luka in jail…?

Miku sobbed. Without warning, she sobbed her soul out. Everybody around her, a lot of people she couldn't identify, started rushing to her rescue, trying to comfort her.

No, only Luka could comfort her. But…the pinkette had stabbed her in the back.

Miku's tears doubled.

A pair of arms was wrapped around her, but she couldn't tell who it was. Coughing, almost suffocating herself on her own rapid, uncontrollable breaths, the wailing idol couldn't even open her eyes.

Voices spoke as she cried, cried and cried. She couldn't make a difference out of them. Everything seemed the same, everything. Nothing had its own sound anymore, and nothing had its own hue of color. Nothing seemed important.

Luka…was gone.

For what seemed like hours, Miku cried her heart out, wailed her pain and writhed in her torture. The person holding her was strong; he didn't let go and didn't flinch when Miku grabbed a fistful of skin or hair.

Miku felt weak and dry; her throat felt like she had swallowed sand, her head ached and she couldn't usher out another tear.

She wondered how long she had been crying; it was darker now, it seemed.

But she couldn't tell at all. Nothing seemed to make sense.

"Is she feeling better?"

"I guess; she stopped yelling"

"She's been crying for the whole day…I can't stand it"

"She seems to be hurting so much…you know, Kaito broke into tears a few minutes ago; he snapped"

"I wonder how Luka…"

"I'm not believing it until I hear it from her"

"Whatever happens, she's still in jail for screwing around with Crypton's stuff"

"That does NOT mean she's the one who did this!"

Miku listened to the exchange between roughly four people. Everything was so cloudy…she couldn't make out anything.

But one fact was clear; Luka DID do it. She had no alibis; she WAS the culprit.

_"Sorry…I got to go do something" declared Luka, before putting the utensils in the sink and going to their room. Miku shrugged and continued her breakfast._

_She opened the door with a bang, and saw Luka jump practically three feet in the air._

_"Hey, Luka!" Miku cheered. Luka quickly quit the page, not letting Miku see it. The smaller girl quickly turned towards Luka, who suddenly seemed as if she were a three-year-old who was caught with the hand in the cookie jar._

_"Luka…"_

_"Y-yes?"_

_"Were you being naughty?" asked Miku with a grin, stepping forward. "Were you doing things you shouldn't?" Luka smiled, taking a step back from the screen._

_"Of course not!"_

_"Hey, Luka" once again, the pink-haired girl was behind the screen. "What are you doing?"_

_"Nothing" she answered, quitting the site. "What is it?"_

_The computer rooms were one of those exceptions. With all the cables and such, some even needing replacement, it took much longer, despite the small amount of rooms. There were only ten people in that group and in there was Luka._

_"But I've never harmed a soul…" Luka grinned, but it didn't hold any emotion._

_"Well, you did harm a bear, and a few other animals. But I doubt that they can use computers…"_

_Miku rolled over, seeing her lover's sleeping form. She felt tears coming to her eyes._

_What if they told their love now? What if they revealed what they really were right now? People would despise Luka as well for loving such a dirty, disgusting person._

_Miku…would ruin Luka's life._

_"Yeah, my biggest fear turned into the most important thing in my life"_

_All she actually needed was Luka._

She couldn't cry anymore. She couldn't do anything anymore. Memories piled up, just proving what she didn't want to know.

Her biggest fear…has become the most important, traitorous illusion of her life. And all she actually needed to make it better…was **gone.**

Two eyes invaded her vision. They were…slightly darker than the other hues of grey that composed her life.

"Hey, Miku…don't worry; Luka can't possibly do that" it was Meiko, Miku felt it. The brunette would trust that her best friend since eternity couldn't do such a thing. "Though Rin and Len said they have known it for a while…I don't believe it"

Miku didn't reply; Rin and Len…? She stopped thinking, unable to process anything with her present headache.

She saw Meiko pout at her lack of any reaction whatsoever. Moments later, Miku was handed a drink, but still she didn't move. Not a blink, not a sound.

Nothing.

Life now seemed like it consisted of nothing.

The person holding her whispered comforting words into her ear, softly rocking her back and forth as Miku stood absolutely still.

For some reason, the whispered words were felt. She didn't know what they were saying, or who was speaking them, but the general tone was…something.

Miku inhaled deeply, her eyes threatening to spill tears again.

Everything was so empty…

Finally the person comforting her pulled out of the embrace, and held the cup of water in front of her. Miku slowly took it, and drank with slow, long gulps.

Her throat hurt. Everything hurt; her eyes, her head, her heart… her very soul.

"Come on. Tomorrow, we can go visit her, ok?"

Miku didn't reply.

Luka really did do it.

Miku couldn't feel the doubt she wanted to.

* * *

><p>Sure enough, the next day, they went to visit Luka.<p>

Nothing registered in Miku's brain. The only thing she knew was that she was being pulled by Gumi (who was the one who held her the previous day, and even stayed with her the whole night) towards a place she never wanted to visit. The city prison.

Luka was being held there for now a full day. She was imprisoned the previous morning, shortly after waking up the entire Crypton Security body and the cops along.

She had gone with the law enforcers without any hesitation or resistance. At first only for illegally using Crypton's computers, but when they heard the story form the group, and saw Miku passed out on the ground, they decided to hold her for a little longer.

The group was only able to visit the pinkette for a few minutes; most of them were still supposed to go on that tour, and also those responsible of the law didn't allow them to visit the pinkette for too long; they wondered why.

The building was massive,only that sunk in for Miku. Gates opened and closed, men yelled as they walked through the halls, prisoners observed them under heavy eyebrows. Miku didn't see or hear any of it.

Finally they reached a cell; Luka has been sharing one until now, and had recently been moved to one where she was alone.

Miku wondered if she had felt alone, or cold, in this insensitive building.

The guard who led them there knocked on the door, before calling out a sentence.

Miku vaguely asked herself why they weren't talking behind a glass panel like they always saw in movies. Why through a steel door with a miserable little slot?

But her questions disappeared when Luka appeared through the small space.

Her eyes were dark, clouded. They were underlined with dark circles, and all visible hair was unkempt and greasy.

Miku's heart nearly stopped at the mere sight. A zap of electricity ran through her veins, numbing her fingers and rendering her mentally incapable of pretty much anything.

She still loved her. She still loved her with her entire being. She still thought that Luka was pretty, may she be cut in piece or a princess.

Just by looking at her, even with the new creases over her brows and the extremely annoyed and frustrated aura, she couldn't help but melt in a helpless puddle on the floor and gasp.

"What?" asked the idol behind bars, voice dry, crisp, and almost insulting. "What the hell do you want with me?"

Meiko smiled.

"Come on, Luka. You gotta admit that fooling around with Crypton's stuff was kinda stupid, but we know you aren't the blogger!"

"How would you know?" spat Luka, her gaze cutting like a hot knife through butter.

Everybody froze at this, and Miku felt new tears arise.

Luka looked at Miku, the dark grey eyes softening slightly.

"And what do you think, Miku…?" she asked.

Miku couldn't help but cry.

"You, did it…didn't you?" she asked, between sobs.

The simple sentence transformed Luka. From a barely retrained, tired watchdog, she turned into a savage, unchained beast.

She laughed. She laughed hard, loud and wild. Her eyes, once sky blue turned grey, were now a savage electricity blue, fire burning within their very roots.

"Did I do it?" she laughed. "YES! I'm the one who was behind it all!" she howled, laughed her heart out, an evil joy covering them at every single second. The simple sound made the other's expressions fall, and the confession brought most to tears.

"Haha, I did it! I'm the brilliant madwoman who cracked Crypton! I'm the genius who wrote those songs! Who else could it have been?"

And the laughing tirade continued. The whole group stared in shock, while Miku silently cried.

Every single tear represented a memory…she was throwing them away. If this is where her life was going…then it wasn't going to be worth living.

Without a sound or warning, the tealette took off at a sprint. She didn't want to be there…she didn't want to be anywhere.

She didn't want to be.

Meiko grew red with rage as Luka continued laughing. She grabbed the edges of the slot, shocking Luka enough for her to stop.

"I can't believe you would do this, Luka!" yelled Meiko, absolutely, raging furious. She was practically trying to tear Luka's face off through the little space. "You loved her! And you just…you crushed her!"

"Love? LOVE? Haha! Love? Did you really think that such a thing MEANS anything anymore?" yelled the pinkette, seemingly mad.

Finally the guard decided to intervene. He had the group leave, shocked to their core, as Luka continued laughing her heart out.

"I DID IT! I, MEGURINE LUKA, CRUSHED THE ALL-TIME FAMOUS HATSUNE MIKU!"

* * *

><p><strong>Aaannd...there we have it. <strong>

**Truthfully, I think this is one of my lesser chapters; rushed, kinda empty...but I think it'll pass; I'm re-writing the whole thing, anyway. :)**

**So, once again, no preview...**

**I hope you enjoyed~! I'll get to writing the next chapter ASAP! AND I MEAN IT THIS TIME!**


	16. Rising From The Ashes

**Ok, so here's the next chapter~ The review replies are at the bottom. :3**

**I hoe you ENJOY~! :D**

* * *

><p>Everything had crumbled.<p>

Tears were constantly pouring down Miku's tired eyes, but she didn't care. She didn't want to see. She didn't want to feel. She didn't want to taste, smell…or even hear.

Music was her life. When her caretaker died, music was what kept her sane. When she got lost, singing showed her the way. When she needed to cry, a pencil and paper was all she ever needed. Music helped her befriend the most beautiful person she's ever known, the person she loved and feared at the same time. Music helped her carve friends out of plain rock. Music gave her a life she never really had before. Music, love...and Luka; the person she could trust most. The person with whom she didn't have to hide secrets from, and could be her real self around; they all stabbed at her heart, her mind…her whole life when she _needed _them.

Everything possible had turned against her.

A life she had just barely gotten…lost. Her greatest fear; something she did her best to prevent from happening…now an icy cold, painful reality.

The girl ran...ran desperately, trying to find refuge somewhere, anywhere…a place where the world could leave her alone, where she would be treated like a normal person.

Not like a famous star to honor.

Not like a famous star to destroy.

Was what she had before…an illusion? Was that feeling that she was a normal being; somebody that wasn't covered in stars and made of smiles, a mirage reflected on dry sand? She felt _real¸ _like a person who would bleed when cut, who would die when stabbed. Not somebody who is expected to stay young forever, to sing for all eternity.

And now…gone, all of it. A whole façade. Painted with broken brushes, but the best kind of paint. Burned to ashes, tossed in a volcano of sadness and despair.

Miku couldn't help but remember, painfully, everything that she had EVER done. Every single album released, every single smile she forced; they all passed in front of her eyes as her heart bled.

Miku would sometimes bump against something. Sometimes it was solid, other times it would react, she would also trip over it. A pole, a person, a dog, maybe…?

She couldn't tell; everything was a blurry emptiness. Sound was muffled before they even got to her.

Everything was twisted, and turned, stripped from sanity.

Miku couldn't feel, and yet she was suffering all torments from hell.

It _hurt._

It didn't hurt like that gash from the bear on her arm. It didn't even hurt like the wait for Luka to come back to the living. This hurt as if someone ripped her insides out, before laying her in a bed of coals and buried alive, without escape. It didn't burn like the feverish nights; it burned like hot molten steel being eased into her throat. It didn't sting like the disinfectant that the doctors gave her; it stung like the remains of a lightning bolt with the strength of a thunder's boom.

It was driving her absolutely insane…and yet, the pain was so focused, so concentrated, so persistent, it kept her from simply passing out and dying on-the-spot.

Was that what had made her immortal, before? That constant focus, that ever-present anchor, keeping her going. She had a real reason to not stop. Blood might have been lacking, but her heart would keep pumping, keep going until she knew they would be safe.

Was it the same now? That constant focus, that ever-present thorn, was what kept her from being numb. She couldn't find a way loose from the nail that hung her just feet above the endless pit of insanity. She might be dying. She might be wailing, tearing her eyes out, but she just hung, the wound only increasing, but never killing; never letting her go, like a pair of talons tightly wrapped around her writhing, running form. Letting her scream her pain, but never leaving her alone.

Some compared deep pain to a dark, seemingly endless abyss. She wasn't swimming through an abyss; she was floating through a black endless space, only seeing the things she didn't want to.

_I like you, Luka…_

_I love you…_

Miku cried out loud, seeing drops of the sun right under her eyelids as she tripped again. This time, somebody held her back. Hands grabbed her, trying to keep her from moving.

_Luka…! She needs me! I need to hold her…I promised!_

Miku yelled, shards of pain cutting like glass, stabbing her mind. The suffering, emerging from a sore, tired, completely upset throat. She heard people around her, but she just flailed, not seeing where left or right was. All colors were ruined…the only thing she could remember was the endless blue in her eyes.

Finally, the person let go. Miku barreled on, not wanting to stay in one place.

She wanted to leave everything behind.

Did she want to kill herself…?

Even she couldn't tell.

Everything was so…dead.

Everything…just dead.

Dead…

* * *

><p>Upset didn't fit anymore. Insane, if possible, even less.<p>

Guards who stood in front of her door couldn't stay in place. After every shift, the replacements would walk to the dreaded post slowly, and those who were there would run away when the time finally came. The place in front and around the dreaded cell door was already dubbed 'Hell', and for good reason. The maniac-like laughter was enough to crack a boulder. Sometimes quiet, just for a few minutes, before starting up again; loud, clear…haunting. Other prisoners would plead to be moved, just to escape from the horrible laughter void of reason. Those who were to be sent to their respective country begged to leave the criminal's house, even if it meant their death execution. But all pleas were in absolute vain. The completely tormented happiness rang through the entire building, echoing through the walls, and was bound to echo in the poor prisoner's heads for months after listening to it.

Luka was in that cell, trapped in a straitjacket, huddled in a corner for most of the time, laughing. Her eyes were such a pale grey that they seemed white. Some even wondered if she was blind. But she would just keep on laughing. Every now and then, she would absolutely snap. No longer crazy; insane. She would explode and go out of her mind and crash into the walls with her shoulders, laughing and laughing. But in those moments as rare as her silences, she would shed the biggest tears any man, woman, or child has ever seen. They made the floor slippery, and landed audibly despite the twisted, deafening, and yet hypnotizing laughter.

Maybe that was where 'you can't write 'slaughter' without 'laughter'' came from.

Luka seemed to have jumped right out of an anime. She didn't even seem human anymore. Small, grey eyes, a wide-open, laughing mouth, just laughing, laughing, never stopping. Insanity still seemed sane around her.

The grey walls had darkened a few shades since she was imprisoned there. The straitjacket she wore was her third; the others tore, withered from simple exposure to pure madness.

She was in a cell with other women, before. All dressed like sluts, and reeked of smoke and other drugs. They had wide, watery eyes, and looked at her with disdain, their inflated lips curled in a smirk.

Luka seemed to be the only one who was wearing normal clothing at the moment. She had tears in her eyes, still coming along from the shock.

But after the question 'So, whadid you do~?" asked by what seemed of a chunk of a woman, Luka snapped. Her perfect lady-like composure dissolved like sugar in acid. She screamed one phrase, in such a cold, emotionless, and yet triumphant tone that all the other women shrank. Her lost, slightly confused state of mind disappeared.

"I KILLED HER!" Luka knew it; she had killed Hatsune Miku.

After yelling that phrase, was when she started laughing. It wasn't the same laugh as it was presently. It still had a few grains of sanity. It was so close to normal, the other detainees would, after a few minutes, ask if she was ok, just laughing like that.

Luka would eventually quiet down. Day came fast enough, the sunlight infiltrating though a small window. Right then, Luka was only staring, having scared her cellmates only a little. Her scream had chilled them to the bone, for sure, but that had faded away.

Finally, a man appeared at the bars. He was wearing a suit, and seemed terribly out of place in such a drab environment. A guard who was with him tapped the bars, but they already had her attention.

All others swarmed towards the bars, but when Luka stood, they parted.

The pinkette suddenly had the worst kind of atmosphere floating around her.

"Good Morning, Megurine Luka" at the statement, the other women started muttering confused sentences.

They hadn't recognized her. Megurine Luka was in their cell. And they hadn't been able to recognize her.

And the young woman in question only answered with one phrase.

"I'm too young; you can't imprison me here" there was no rhythm, no melody that normally formed a sentence. The flattest statement ever made.

The man didn't move, but swiftly replied.

"You were caught manipulating Crypton's computers. And according to a few friends and recent happenings, you are also the one who illegally posted the blog, illegally posted a billboard in open public and illegally wrote a few songs, all in Crypton's name. Though you may be too young, you are still a great potential threat"

Luka's lip curled, forming a displeasing, asymmetric frown.

"What the hell happened to 'Innocent until proven guilty'?" the man looked down at his papers.

"You ARE still considered innocent, but you are not allowed to leave our custody until we have found proof that you are innocent or until you are considered safe to the law"

"And what the hell about my age? I. Can't. Be. Here" emphasized the pinkette. The man sighed.

"For the moment, you are to stay here" Luka's frown turned into a scowl.

"Under what charges?" the man looked at her.

The girl's eyes had paled, and a dangerous spark has flickered in their dark depths.

"I just stated them; you manipulated a company, creating false images. Not only that, but you attacked Hatsune Miku in their halls, last night"

After that sentence, there was a sickening silence. During that time, Luka's eyes slowly widened, and a sick smile spread on her lips, turning the scowl upside down. The sight was so scary, that the man backed away.

"No…I killed her" she whispered. But the phrase echoed between the halls, making sure that everybody present heard it. "I killed her!" she repeated.

She burst out laughing, chilling everybody to the soul.

"I killed her! I destroyed her!"

And she laughed, and laughed. The man remained present, but he was now everything but glued to the opposite wall. The other imprisoned women did the same, sticking to the cement. The guard tried to remain impassive, but a bead of sweat was already rolling down his temple.

The laughing built up gradually, higher and higher in volume, lower and lower in sanity.

Finally, it seemed as if she had snapped. She broke lose, no longer holding the steel bars in her hands, but hitting them with clenched fists, quickly spreading blood on the floor as her knuckles started bleeding.

"I took her down! I ruined her! I BROKE HER!" she chanted, yelled, cackled.

As she fought an invisible opponent, she was brought to another cell. Her first straitjacket was pulled over her shoulders and arms as she punched, kicked, yelled. Finally, she was almost pushed into her new cell; empty, cushioned to prevent her from hurting herself. It was almost as if she was in an asylum.

Luka continued laughing, laughing all day long. When the late afternoon ticked by, she ran out of breath, and quieted down. But she still smiled, smiled for a long time.

Screaming could be heard from the other side of her cell door. The slot was opened, and she could see her mother's eyes, looking at her.

"Get her out of there!" yelled the older woman. Luka could hear her father discussing with the guard, audibly upset.

Luka got up with slight difficulty. She walked towards the door, and the eyes there widened when they saw the straitjacket.

"What have you done to my daughter? She's not crazy!" she yelled, tears in her eyes. A second pair of eyes made itself visible, and they widened as well.

"Luka!" Luka's father all but yelled. "Explain this immediately!"

Luka just stared. Her parents…

Her smile, grew, her pale, pale eyes widened.

"Mother, Father…" she mumbled, tears in her eyes.

"Luka! Get out of here, you know you didn't do it!" called out the woman. Luka's smile grew, showing all white, pearly teeth.

"Haha, mother, you have no idea~" she chuckled, never closing her eyes.

"Luka?"

"I did it, mother. I destroyed her, father. I killed her from the inside out ~ I tore her world to pieces~! I STABBED her through her HEART and MIND, the moment she was in my ARMS!"

The two adult's eyes filled with tears.

Luka laughed, laughed as her mother retreated to cry in her husband's chest.

They were lost.

Luka just continued laughing… laughing… laughing…

Night came, and Luka fell asleep. Dehydrated, completely dry on the inside, she only woke up when a guard banged his security staff against her padded, steel door.

She got up, and saw a pair of eyes that froze her to the soul.

Miku…

"What?" she asked, something boiling up inside her. "What the hell do you want with me?"

Meiko smiled. How carefree, so sure of herself.

"Come on, Luka. You gotta admit that fooling around with Crypton's stuff was kinda stupid, but you know that you aren't the blogger!"

Luka heard the guard swallow.

"How would you know?" spat the imprisoned idol. How was she speaking…? How was she keeping a straight face? Why wasn't she insane, crazy, laughing at nothing but her sanity?

She turned to Miku, who was standing there, close to the door. Luka wondered if they saw the jacket she wore.

"And what do you think, Miku…?"

"You did it...didn't you?"

"_You did it"_

"_**You did it"**_

'_Yes…I DID!'_

Right then, Luka officially snapped. Forget her previous laughs, right then she exploded, burst. Something in her mind broke, shattered to pieces. Her eyes, for the first time in a day, regained their color, only sharper, more insane than before. They weren't the sophisticated sky blue, or the deep azure: they were the wild lightning that streaked across the sky, destroying whatever it landed on.

Luka laughed, harder and harder, chanting the magical sentences over and over.

She did it!

Miku ran away eventually, and the guard had them all leave.

Luka continued laughing, laughing. Now for what seemed days on end, she laughed, laughed.

* * *

><p>The air was thick enough to cut with a knife.<p>

Meiko, Kaito, Gakupo, Rin, Len and Gumi all sat in the comfortable limousine in a total uncomfortable silence. None felt any excitement whatsoever when entering the vehicle. Instead, they felt like a rag doll, thrown against a wall too many times and yet they couldn't do anything about it.

Luka…Miku…

Things have never been worse. Those songs and their two idols troubled more than the blog and the billboard ever did.

The song was disturbing in itself; Miku DIDN'T sing it, and yet it WAS HER. It was extremely troubling.

And Luka…she was the one who did all that…?

They couldn't believe it. And yet, the facts were there. Rin and Len showed them the recorder just minutes before leaving on the sightseeing tour.

They couldn't shed a tear. They wanted to, but they couldn't. Gumi seemed extremely close to doing so, though. She kept hugging herself, trying to find comfort in a person that wasn't there. Rin and Len felt guilty and not just a little, for some reason. Holding hands was all they could do to sooth each other's pain.

Meiko's self-assurance had dissolved. She returned to the forest-era, a walking dead. Every now and then, she would mumble incoherently, as if hallucinating. But Kaito knew she wasn't. He explained in a few short words that the brunette was trying to explain to herself why Luka would do such a thing.

Indeed; why?

Why would Luka do that?

Gakupo would propose ideas, and none of them seemed satisfactory. Sometimes, he would even be yelled at, but only rarely. After all, they weren't sure of anything anymore.

He would propose that…maybe Luka wasn't sane form the start. After all, she teased Miku for months on end for no apparent reason. Was it really that she wanted attention…?

Or…she HAD gone insane. All the popularity got to her head. He said that that happened in the army; the soldiers there were put in such conditions that it wasn't uncommon for one of them to just snap eventually. But Meiko then yelled that they WEREN'T in the marshmallow-roasting army.

Or…Luka had been manipulated as well. She was being threatened, menaced, forced to keep quiet and take the blame, otherwise Miku would get a bullet in her heart, literally.

They only kept quiet on that one; Luka wouldn't have ever let that happen. Not surprisingly, the conversation died, leading to the unsettling and unnerving silence now present.

One of their friends was in a prison. The other was gone; they worried sick about where she was. Neru and Haku were out looking for her, but she was nowhere to be found.

Gumi wanted to yell; it was visible in her eyes. She wanted to scream, pull her hair out in frustration. The others felt bad about pulling her into this mess; if she hadn't been heard by Crypton's 'spy', then she would still be blissfully unaware at home, taking full advantage of the vacation. And yet…now she was suffering like they all were.

* * *

><p>So many hands…so many memories. Miku couldn't take it anymore. The crowd that was surrounding her was yelling, trying to hold her back.<p>

How long has she been running…?

She could hear her heart in her ears, her throat was dry, and felt like she had swallowed sand. Her legs couldn't hold her anymore.

And yet she ran.

She didn't have a lifeline, like the last time she walked endlessly, eternally. She knew that she would succumb where any other human would; when her heart stopped beating, when she became too tired. And without Luka…it didn't seem to have a reason to beat anymore.

Indeed, the rhythm of her heart was growing tired, pained. Miku felt every single pulse in her ears, by her temples, even in her legs. Despite running so fast and so far, the beat was almost painfully, impossible slow.

Or was it an illusion…?

Time didn't seem to matter…so rhythm wasn't as important, either.

But…why wasn't she dead, yet? Why hasn't she collapsed by now? Why hasn't she forgotten and left the painful world of the living, which has only offered her hardships?

Miku yelled, stopping her sobs. She yelled, wanting to leave, wanting to plummet into death, and forget all the ordeals she has ever been through.

Luka…wasn't there.

Luka wouldn't care!

Luka wouldn't give half a shit if she just died right there!

Luka would laugh at her corpse, and chant the lies she had succumbed to!

Luka…wouldn't…wouldn't do anything…!

Miku yelled louder, going beyond limits.

Why was she forced to live on? What reason kept her heart beating ever so slowly?

Miku felt her voice snap, and a dreading silence filled the air.

She ran, and ran, never stopping; hearing, feeling every single painful, shattering beat of her shredded heart.

Suddenly, she felt a thousand whips hit her face. She didn't care, and pushed forward, ignoring the sizzling pain as already a few cuts opened across her cheeks and forehead.

Instead of making all other pains seem like nothing, the screw twisted tightly in her heart, mind and soul only intensified every simple torment she felt.

It was unbearable.

Why was she still alive…?

She SHOULDN'T be alive! She wasn't supposed to live all this in the first place! Why hadn't she DIED when she was supposed to? Why did she survive the most IMPOSSIBLE feats?

Miku remembered with tears in her eyes how she saved Luka from the forest.

How she HATED that time…! It was now so RIDICULOUS…she should have DIED!

Miku wanted to yell again, but her throat was dry, her voice probably broken.

HOW did she survive that fall? HOW did she LIVE after that, for two months? HOW did she fight off a freaking bear? HOW did she carry Luka all the way home?

It was impossible! It wasn't supposed to have happened like that! They should have died, flat in the ground, eaten by birds and by the bear! They should have rotted away, leaving the world of the living! They should have died in each other's arms!

Miku gasped. She should have died…with Luka.

She yelled, silently. She ripped hair from her skull, clawed at her eyes.

She did the IMPOSSIBLE for Luka! She did what wasn't supposed to be done for Luka!

And…Luka just…TORE HER APART!

Miku yelled harder, emptying her lungs from air, twisting her feet in the soil as she spun, running into hard surfaces and cutting open wounds into her skin.

She couldn't run anymore; her rage, her sadness, was making her dizzy, completely mad.

Luka held her in her arms as she plotted her death! Luka made love to her as she remembered every single parcel of her body for that billboard! Luka listened to her worries as she recorded her voice! Luka…took everything she said she loved about Miku…and turned it against her!

Miku ran again, wanting to flee this horrible world, wanting to wear her feet down to stumps, and finally…die.

* * *

><p>A small chalet was perched on top of a hill. The setting sun shining orange lights reflected off green fields and majestic trees.<p>

The wooden house wasn't exactly old, but it wasn't built last week, either. The floorboards squeaked, but the windows shut easily, while water was warmed with electricity and the greatest source of heat was the fire in the fireplace.

It was a very comfy place, to say the least; snug, comfortable, home-sweet-home.

But the person sitting in the big armchair wasn't feeling that peace. Nervous fingers danced over the old leather, while a foot hugged by a warm slipper drew circles in the air.

An easel stood in the corner of the room, mounted by an empty canvas. It was surrounded by towels, cloths, paints, tubes and brushes of all sorts. A telephone was resting on the table to the person's left; it was pretty much the only electronic device the house contained, besides the oven and stoves. No computers were visible, or games of any sort. The only other exception was the cellphone resting right next to the phone.

The phone wasn't wireless, and had a dial, instead of buttons. It was grey, old-fashioned, almost an extinct species. But the person ignored that, and simply stared.

Should…

With a decided grip, the person seized the phone, the bell inside the device ringing slightly as she did so. Long, elegant fingers wrapped around the smooth plastic, and the other hand shakily composed a number. Each time a number was entered and the dial rolled back to 0, the grip on the phone altered slightly. The blue-painted nails would scratch the surface, making a black, heart-resembling tattoo on the wrist dance slightly. A gulp was drowned by the sound of the fire cracking.

The final digit dialed, the person sat back in the chair, melting into the leather. Breathing deeply, she tried to clear the stress.

She froze when the person answered.

"Hello" she answered. The person knew she didn't have to say her name. A heated accusation was heard.

"I know, you don't want me to call…but I have to tell you something"

A break, silence.

"It's my right to do so"

A sigh echoed from the device.

"Alright then. First of all, I want to say that I wasn't doing all that for the fame. I don't give two huffs about the fame. I did it because I wanted to, alright?"

The called person interrupted rudely.

"Sorry, it's not my fault you're greedy"

"Well, fine. But you should have considered this before hiring me. I did it for the fun, for the pleasure. That's why you didn't hear me fight too much when-"

Another rude interruption stopped the smooth voice from speaking.

"You know what? If you hate me so much, why don't you just…let me go? I won't bother you, and you won't bother me"

"Yes, I have wondered why you didn't do that from the beginning"

"Come on! It can't be that hard!"

"Ugh, I KNOW Crypton is having difficulties! How the hell couldn't I? I was right there! But that has nothing to do with-"

"Listen I don't want to hear this! The problem is I, don't want to work for you anymore, and YOU can't stand the sight of me! Us just…going our own ways will only solve the problem!"

"What I am is NOT a problem! Get your head out of the medieval times, already!"

"…"

"That's NOT the subject here! Wh-"

The other line was sounding almost amused.

"Just…shut up. Which one of us can fire the other? Because I feel like firing you, even if I need somebody with your kind of power right now!"

"Huh…really"

"I know…just, can you arrange something?"

The woman relaxed visibly.

"Really?"

"Ah…thank you, then"

The person on the other line laughed.

"Thanks again. And may we never cross paths again" the woman hung up, and sighed happily.

"Finally…"

Without warning, the cellphone rang. The woman picked it up, reading the text.

"Shit!" she cursed. She continued reading.

After approximately five minutes, the person quickly composed a reply. With so much practice, the 400-word answer was written in record time.

When the text was finished and sent, the woman got up, and walked towards the kitchen.

She felt like pasta that evening…with a lot of wine, to celebrate and mourn.

* * *

><p>Meiko, Kaito, Gakupo, Rin, Len and Gumi entered the vast hotel. The one responsible of the group, an average man in a uniform, made sure they got their keys.<p>

They had spent the whole day driving, driving. Luka was now going to spend her second full night in the prison. Earlier, they had received a text that only made their mood worsen; Miku was nowhere to be found. The whole city was being searched, and yet she was gone, it seemed.

They wondered with sick stomachs and tired minds were she could be.

They quickly arranged their rooms; Kaito, Meiko and Gakupo would share, while the twins and Gumi had the second room.

Although it was only dinner time, they felt exhausted, discouraged, and empty. Hunger evaded them. So, without a word of warning or spoken accord, they all retired to bed at seven.

Kaito wondered how this began.

Meiko wondered why all this was happening.

Gakupo wondered if Miku and Luka were ok.

Len wondered what was going to happen.

Rin wondered how this was going to end.

Gumi could only wonder.

* * *

><p>Rin woke up at around two in the morning for an unknown reason. She looked around the room; to her left slept Len, who groaned every now and then. To her right was Gumi…who wasn't there.<p>

Rin sat up, feeling alarmed. Where was she?

Fear fueled by recent happenings and recurring nightmares, Rin stood on shaky legs, trying her best to ignore the stars in her eyes as she stood straight.

Her panic was short-lived, though, when she spotted Gumi standing on the balcony, shivering in the cold air. Rin sighed.

She quickly took her coat from the coat hanger and stepped outside. Gumi didn't move, even when she closed the door with an audible shove. Only when the warm clothing was draped over her shoulders did the greenette look up, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Gumi…what is it?" the crying girl looked away from the blonde, but tears had started running down her dry cheeks. "Gumi…?"

"I'm so worried!" she choked out, interrupting Gumi. "I mean…I'm terrified! Luka…I feel she didn't do it! Despite what she said, I KNOW she didn't do it!"

Rin looked at the crying girl with shock. Putting a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm down the now sobbing girl, she whispered "How do you know?"

Gumi broke out in tears, gasping for air in mere seconds. Rin wondered what startled her.

"I know who did it…! I'm…certain!" hiccups barely made the sentences recognizable, but Rin froze nonetheless.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a big trick…!"

"But Luka-"

"I don't know what made Luka go mad! But...but I'm trying…I'm trying to hard not to believe it…but she has no alibi!"

Rin had to think for a few moments, before it clicked. The 'she' Gumi was referring to wasn't Luka, but the- if Gumi were to be believed- real blogger.

"Who has no alibi, Gumi?"

"STOP IT!" yelled the greenette. "I don't want it to be her! I don't want…! Stop making me confess that the one who is the blogger is…no…!"

Rin was in shock.

Gumi was acting worse than Miku, it seemed. The fear of knowing who it was, was greater in Gumi's eyes than in Miku's.

Did…Gumi like, or maybe even love, somebody more than Miku and Luka loved each other…? No; it seemed impossible. Plus, Gumi was referring to a girl; she didn't think that the greenette would be gay. Gumi had dated a few, not many, boys before. Never before had she shown any interest in a girl.

Gumi must have caught her staring.

"Please…leave me alone…!" she tried to yell, but the sound only managed to come as a weak plea.

Rin sighed, confused and upset in the stomach.

"Listen, Gumi…you're going to have to tell us who did it"

"I don't-"

"I know; but Luka is in jail, and Miku is…" the blond trailed off.

"She…"

"We don't know, Gumi. If you tell us, then maybe…"

"But-!"

"Gumi! We're all going through hard times, and the only way to solve all this is to prove Luka's innocence! It will get Miku back, and everything will just get so much better…!"

"What if…if…!"

"Gumi…" Rin sighed again.

What could she do…? Forcing it out of Gumi would be unfair; she was so upset. And if she really felt love…then the heartbreak must be unbearable. Rin knew how powerful love could be, and how devastating the negative outcomes were.

She could be lenient…

"You…you have three days to think it through. If you find a reasonable doubt for your suspect, don't say a thing, and we'll just…see how it goes. But…"

"If I find ANY doubt…?"

"Yes, we can't go…blaming heartlessly" she mumbled. "If you can't find any doubt, then…in three days, you better speak up"

Gumi trembled from head to toe, but nodded. Once she did, tears poured down her eyes tenfold. The greenette turned away from the blonde, and Rin understood this message as 'leave me alone'. With a heavy heart, a confused mind and tired eyes, she returned to bed.

She honestly didn't believe there was anybody else to blame, than Luka.

Luka wouldn't ever hurt Miku that way unless she really meant it. Why would she lie on such a thing? If she REALLY didn't do it, then why hide? What reason would force Luka to admitting to having committed heartless crimes, without actually having done so?

Luka…had to be guilty, Rin thought with a pang in her chest.

And the worst part was that she knew that Miku thought exactly the same.

* * *

><p>Where was she…?<p>

Lost, between two realms, completely helpless and numb.

For once, finally, she felt _nothing. _Not the remaining pain of a long day's teasing, not the fatigue of a hard week at work, not the happiness of having friends, not the joy and fun of playing around, not the love and profound emotions towards anybody, not the tearing pain of losing the person who took her soul.

Inexistent…she knew she wasn't feeling anything. She felt the non-feeling-ness. It was such a wonderful experience…

There was nothing to see. Nothing to hear, taste, smell or touch. A black abyss, a comfortable silence…nothing. Just...nothing.

She floated, floated, regaining heartbreaking feeling every now and then, only to plunge back into a deep, dark blanket that promised eternal rest.

She knew it was death. She knew that the beckoning calls and promises came from the dead. Hell or heaven, she did not know, but the outstretched arms, shimmering with a comforting aura, were certainly those of The Eternal Slumber.

Though she did not touch the fingers that reached out to her. Her mind, bathing in this comfort, floated almost nonsensically. But never did she fly close to the calls, close to the music.

It would only be better, there. Many might cry for her death, but she wouldn't have to be there to see it. Besides…her life has only been a burden 'till now. All she ever did was make people's lives complicated, crazy, and dangerous.

Those people who really cared for her…won't cry her departure. In fact, they might embrace it.

Luka…what might happen to Luka…?

She might be charged for her murder, she thought. Strangely, that pleased her; what better way to die, than by the hand of the one who held her heart…?

Luka…might be imprisoned for life.

That hurt her. She knew Luka wanted to travel, probably become a teacher, or lawyer just in case her musical career ended.

She heard herself chuckle; those jobs oddly suited the pink-haired girl. She wondered why.

But…she won't ever become those, will she? She had murdered Hatsune Miku, she had hacked Crypton, and many other sites, no doubt.

All that was left for her to do was leave Luka to die in a prison, and die herself.

That thought tore her apart.

Why won't she die, and leave these trifling feelings behind? Why won't her mind just let her tumble and fall into eternal peace?

What was keeping her alive…?

A brutal shock woke her from the haven of slumber. Again and again, she was pushed around.

She didn't want to wake, to feel her heart tear open, farther and father, stitch by stitch.

Another brutal, spine-cracking shock made her cry aloud.

She hoped that something was going to eat her. She wouldn't feel that pain, she thought bitterly.

When something grabbed her wrist, sharp nails jabbing at her torn arm, she wanted to faint again, rejoin the heavenly space of nothingness. The pain was still doubled, tripled, because or her aching heart.

Why was she feeling this…?

Miku opened her eyes, seeing a surrounding darkness.

Has she gone blind…?

No…she closed her eyes again, the grip on her wrist still painfully present. The tealette flicked her wrist, trying to get free, half-hoping that she would anger whatever had her so that it would shred her to pieces, but her wrist only fell on the ground with a dull thud.

Miku felt horrible. She was covered in a thin crust here and there; she knew it was her own blood. Her cheeks felt dry, crackled, and her throat had never been worse. A sore pain came from multiple parts of her body like small pits of fire.

New, fresh tears managed to gather at the corners of her eyes.

Mind and body, she was destroyed…

She wondered how she was crying; she felt as dry as a piece of sandpaper. Her throat felt like she had swallowed glass.

A loud, audible grunt rang through the air around them.

Miku felt too tired to feel alarm. She was far too tired, in fact, to even acknowledge the one who made the sound.

Instead, she rose to her feet. Scars from the past, both in mind and at her feet, opened as she did so. Blood crackled lightly as she moved.

Tears didn't bother trailing down her cheek anymore. By some miracle her shaking legs held.

She wanted to run from this reality; run away from everything and just die.

Why couldn't she…? Has she grown too resistant to death? Has passing _so _close to death over a dozen times made her…immortal?

Impossible. Miku wanted to die. She would die.

* * *

><p>Luka gasped, panted on the floor.<p>

How much time has passed…?

She couldn't tell.

She would just laugh, breathe loudly and cruelly. When she woke up from a sudden slumber, she would laugh. And then she would sleep again.

She didn't drink, didn't eat. Her hands were tied, her arms were held back, her chest was pushed down. Nobody dared to feed her.

She couldn't breathe, she felt it. And yet she laughed, even when her head got dizzy, even when she fainted. She would laugh, on and on.

Cries mingled with her laughter. Other prisoners would beg for silence, while the guards would bang their security staffs against the door, in hopes of having her shut up.

Nothing worked, it seemed. Only when the same man from the previous day came to her door, and enter the room, did Luka start quieting down.

She wasn't silent, or really even dangerous. The man knew the latter with more or less certainty. Even if the girl was looking up at him through tired, insane, grey eyes, drooling like a dog, panting and heaving and chuckling at the same time, he would remain as impassive as one could manage.

"Luka, please wake up. We know you are only upset; that is why we haven't sent you to an asylum, yet"

Luka chuckled.

"Really…upset? DO…you REALLY think…that I'm UPSET?" she tried to yell, but her lungs were empty. The man held back a flinch, and a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. His feet shifted oh-so-slightly, not in the least comfortable.

"Yes…that's…the only explanation" he tried, losing his words. Luka merely glared at him, insane and seemingly sadistic. Was she really harmless…?

"What do you WANT?" demanded the girl from her knees, still glaring, looking through his soul.

"We have scheduled a trial for you…in three days. Your parents got you a lawyer"

"I'm…too…YOUNG!" she insisted. "I SHOULDN'T BE HERE! I CAN'T HAVE A TRIAL!" she yelled, wriggling in her straitjacket. The belts on the restraining clothing ripped slightly as Luka pulled on it with a tremendous, unbelievable force.

"It's your right to have one…"

"Why even TRY to make me get out free?" chanted the singer gone crazy. "I DID IT!"

"You also have the right to stay silent-"

"LEAVE!"

"I only came to transmit this information-"

"GET OUT!"

"I hope you ha-"

"GET…the FUCK OUT!"

With that final order, the man fled the cell. The guard had left, and all other prisoners had gone silent.

* * *

><p>"Neru…?"<p>

"Yes, Haku?"

"What is happening…?"

Neru didn't answer at first. She slowly looked up from her cellphone, her face blank and her eyes empty. Despite her usual cool, impassive, impenetrable demeanor, her eyes gave away a painful fear.

"Too much, Haku…" the silver-haired girl sighed.

"What can we do…?"

"Look for Miku, wait for the trial between Crypton and Luka, and see how the others are doing…" replied the blonde coolly. Haku's brow furrowed.

"You…you know where Miku is, don't you? And…you know more"

Neru stiffened.

"I know you, Neru. When you text like that, with your shoulders bunched and when you keep looking up, to see if somebody is watching you…you know something"

"I…"

"You do!"

Neru sighed.

"Fine, yes, I know quite a bit of stuff"

"Like?"

"I…know where Miku is"

"We both know" Neru looked at Haku, with wide eyes. "She's in the forest, isn't she? The place…"

"The place that will kill her quickest, yes she is"

"Then why…?"

"Because it would be useless. Search parties won't find her…and I think that Miku is the only one alive that can survive such a madhouse" Haku bit her bottom lip.

"What else?"

"I can't tell you"

"Why not?" Neru froze again. "Why. Not"

"I…have my reasons" Haku punched the table.

"NERU! If you don't tell me right now, I'll have to start thinking that you have a part in this!" she hollered, tears brimming in her eyes.

Neru looked at her, but smiled softly.

"I promise, Haku, that I have no part in this criminal act whatsoever"

"Then what's with the secrets?" insisted the silver-haired girl, gritting her teeth.

Neru inhaled deeply.

"Haku…if I tell you, then it might not work"

"What might not work?"

"…I-"

"Don't you DARE start saying that you can't tell me!"

"Then I won't say it" replied the blonde. Haku visibly held back a holler.

"Neru…we've been friends since…FOREVER. If you can't tell me something so important at a time like this…!"

The cell-phone addict bit her lip, looking down.

"I…we…" she looked away. "I, along with someone else, found out the Blogger's forte. We…are exploiting it"

"But Luka is in JAIL!" Neru looked at her, before sighing.

"Nevertheless…we're solving the mystery"

Haku sat down.

"Who is this other person?"

"I can't tell"

"WHO?"

Silence.

* * *

><p>Miku wept.<p>

She couldn't possibly run anymore; it hurt too much, now. Walking, slowly, slowly.

Why couldn't she just…

Her breathing was getting…painfully difficult. Her heart was slowing down.

Why couldn't she just…

Everything was covered in a dark red veil. Her mouth was dry, and her cheeks were salty and wet. She barely bled anymore, but cuts covered her almost entirely.

Why couldn't she just…

Life was lost to her. Nothing had a meaning; her existence was useless.

Why was she STILL here…?

Why couldn't she just…?

Miku cried out, pain twisting her apart.

Why couldn't she just…?

WHY…couldn't she just…?

Why couldn't she just DIE, there, right on-the-spot? Her heart didn't hold, she was dehydrated, her muscles and mind ached, and her soul was torn apart.

WHY. Why was she living?

It made no sense, Miku told herself. No sense at all.

Miku collapsed, her lungs empty from the desperate cry. She fell on something soft, before falling on a root, splitting her clothes, bruising her skin and cracking her bones.

She looked up. Two dark brown eyes gazed down at her. They were big and moist, surrounded by a large forehead covered in thick brown fur. One thin line cut through the skin.

Miku slowly raised her trembling hand, feeling her muscles so close to giving away. Her fingers caught the soft fur, just above the two eyes.

"Please…kill me" she pleaded.

Silence then followed. Miku slowly trailed her hand down, to between the dark chocolate orbs, and towards the nose.

She remembered this bear. This bear wanted to kill her, and Luka.

Before…she fought. She fought and fought. She didn't care that she had turned into a warrior; she didn't care that she wasn't supposed to survive. All that mattered was Luka.

But now…Luka didn't matter anymore. Luka threw her aside, destroyed her.

She couldn't care less, now, if the bear finally ate her alive.

The bear grunted when Miku's hand touched his moist nose. His large pink tongue slipped out from his mouth and licked the cold wrist, palm and fingers.

Miku let him taste her flesh. The large, wide tongue was so warm…she felt herself getting sleepy.

When the bear finally took her hand in its mouth, Miku sighed.

So…this was how she was going to end…?

Ah, what a silly phrase; seen in many movies and other stories, where the hero or criminal speaks that sentence as his finale, to the point of being repetitive and silly.

She never knew how heavy it actually was. The pure realization of knowing exactly how your last moments on earth were going to be was…extraordinary.

Miku smiled.

* * *

><p>The vacation barely looked like one.<p>

Nobody really smiled, or had fun. Meiko was still lost, still trying to explain Luka's actions. Kaito wasn't able to break the ice with his girlfriend in such a state. Gumi and Len wouldn't even open their mouths. Rin was constantly thinking. Gakupo, every once on a while, tried to lighten up the mood, but he failed every time.

But, the most silent of them all was actually tearing up inside.

Gumi cried silently every now and then. She didn't let anybody see, but she was tearing inside.

Her mind was racing.

She couldn't find anything.

* * *

><p>Miku was startled awake.<p>

She was alive.

She was breathing.

Her heart was still beating slowly.

What….?

She looked up, to see a bear dragging her by the arm. The teeth hurt.

Miku was confused.

What was happening…? Why was a bear dragging her?

"Uh…" she tried to get the bear's attention.

But the animal did hear her, and carefully let her go. Miku stood.

"Wh-…?"

The animal looked at her with those brown eyes.

Was it going to eat her…?

Miku suddenly doubted it. The bear seemed…far too kind, all of a sudden.

Then the animal kneeled in front of her, leaving Miku confused.

The girl eventually got the message, and climbed on the bear's back. It rose, and started walking.

Miku could only ask herself questions as they moved on.

What was happening…? She couldn't remember a thing. Sure, she knew her name, but otherwise…

They simply continued in silence, Miku looking around. This place was so pretty…everything was so green, young, fresh. What was she doing here…?

The bear walked for what seemed like hours. Miku was asking herself more questions by the minute, always turning around the same question. 'Why am I here…?'

She had no idea of anything. Her name, Hatsune Miku, was all she could remember.

Finally the duo arrived in a clearing. Miku was appalled; this was the first time she saw direct light. Bright, vaguely yellow, it made everything seem so clear. Looking up, she saw an eternal blue.

This world was gorgeous…

When small noises starting ringing around the peaceful clearing Miku was startled back to reality. A cave in front of her, half-hidden by bushes, seemed to be the source of the racket.

Without warning, two little bears charged into the open. The bigger animal, now obviously the mother, happily greeted them.

Miku was appalled at the sight, and had a vague feeling of sudden understanding. But understanding of what, she couldn't remember.

The cubs weren't that small, but were obviously old enough to have lived a year. All had a rich brown coat, and dark eyes.

The girl sat down.

She was in a forest she couldn't remember, surrounded by large animals, one of which seemed to know her.

She was awoken from her thoughts when the two younger bears started walking around her. Sniffing and tugging, nibbling every now and then, they thoroughly inspected the girl. Miku then realized that the mother had gone.

She playfully rubbed one of the cub's heads, smiling. The young animal leaned into her caress, encouraging the girl.

"You like that, don't you?" she asked, smiling. The other cub whined a little, like a dog.

Miku pet the other bear as well with a smile.

"You always need attention, don't you~?" she said playfully. Instead of replying, the animals sat next to her, pushing into her touch.

They were just plain adorable, Miku thought.

The mother bear was back right then, with a large branch of fruit in her mouth. Miku didn't feel hungry, so let the little cubs have the fruit. The larger bear lay behind the girl, letting her lean against the thick fur.

Miku sighed.

What a pretty place~…

Hey, it was already nighttime, all of a sudden…strange.

Miku smiled, the roaring campfire warming her legs. The mother bear supporting her back breathed deeply, her eyes half-open, keeping watch on her little cubs as they played. Miku laughed every now and then at their pranks, as they pulled on each other's ears and kicked each other in the stomach.

Suddenly, they sat in front of the girl, bitten ears perked and eyes trained in her.

"Haha, you want me to tell you a story?" asked Miku. One of the two younger animals lay down, as if agreeing and getting ready for a good story.

"Very well then! Let's see…" Miku put a finger to her chin, thinking hard.

"Ah! I know…  
>Once upon a time, there was a rich married couple. They were happy, lived in a big house, and didn't seem to miss anything in the world. Their son was always there, being good and brave. When the son turned ten, the couple had a daughter. They were very, very happy. But the father's brother-in-law was jealous. His wife had died, and was thus deprived of a large heritage. He wanted to kill the children, the son and newly-born daughter, in order to get the money.<br>The brother, now twelve, the little girl just barely having turned two, overheard his evil uncle's plot. He took his little sister and fled the household, running as far as possible, bringing only the clothes on their backs and his pocket money. He was very scared.  
>One day, he got to a city, far from where his uncle would find them. But, in a bad accident, he lost his little sister. The little sister, though, didn't remain lost for very long. A man found her only hours after she had gotten lost, and he took her in. But he couldn't take care of her, and gave the little kid to his sister, who took the girl under her wing.<br>The girl grew up as any other girl, but didn't go to school. She was taught things at home, and had a great time with her step-mother"

Miku smiled, watching as the little cubs seemed as attentive as ever. Both were now lying down in the grass, brown eyes wide open.

"But one day, the woman died in a horrible car accident. The little girl, now nine, was astounded by the fact that she was practically alone at the funeral. Remembering how her mother always had fun with friends, she was puzzled to why they weren't there. Were friends really that good? She asked herself.  
>But besides that, she was now very alone. The man that took her in was boring; he worked all day, and was barely even there at night. She lived silently, becoming a shell of what she was before.<br>But the boring life didn't last. When they were walking in the city, the girl ran away. She didn't really know why. She was hurting too much. And then, she saw somebody singing. A girl with long, blonde hair, and pretty blue eyes was singing on a stage, with many lights, in the heart of the city. The girl was immediately entranced. This woman was singing her heart out, giving her all, singing because she could.  
>The nine-year-old was sad when she stopped singing. She went further on, and sat down, and let a few tears fall down her cheeks. Remembering a song she heard years ago, she sang like the woman did. A man heard her, and asked for her name. She answered, and weeks later, she was a star. She had her own outfit, her own stage name. She was quickly getting famous. When she wrote her own song, her popularity doubled-no, tripled…! Quadrupled!" Miku laughed. "In any case, her name was everywhere. But she was very, very lonely. One day, she went to a public school, for the first time, at the age of fifteen. She wore hair paint and disguised her voice, so that nobody would know it was her. She thought 'If I get friends, it'll be for me, and not my name', because she was still scared of friends.<br>Eventually, a group of kids started teasing her. They were very, very mean. But the girl held strong; she didn't give up on her regular life, even if it was hard. One day, the most beautiful girl of the group, the princess of the school, figured out who she was. And it changed everything!"

This time, the cubs' ears perked at this jovial turn in the story. Miku grinned, proud of the story she had come up with.

"The two became the best of friends, and nobody else knew. The popular girl kept her secret, and the singer let her hang out with her. Their friendship was true, and because of a contest, the girl's new friend also became a singer! But…"

Miku hesitated, but instantly, the rest of the story came in place.

"The girl's singing manager was actually very mean. His nephew wanted her throne, so they tried to chase her from the company. They thought that if the girl left the company, her new friend wouldn't hold very long and leave, too. But they were wrong. Slowly the threats became worse, and one day, on a school excursion, they fell down a cliff"

The cubs became more alert all of a sudden, alerted by the turning point. Despite Miku's vague story, they strangely seemed to understand.

"The friend landed first, breaking the fall. The girl woke up alone and scared, without knowing what to do. Soon her friend woke up, too, but she couldn't move at all! The girl was very sad, and heartbroken. In fact, she loved her friend, even if she was a girl. And she told her that, after explaining the whole story. To her surprise, the one she loved accepted her confession, but didn't…no, couldn't reply. But they made it out of the forest, and were put in a big, white hospital. It was very scary, because the friend was in a very critical condition and was scared when the girl who loved her didn't hold her hand. But they made it out fine, and much to the girl's surprise, her friend loved her back. They kissed, and everything seemed perfect.  
>Soon, everything was back in perfect condition. Their friends and parents accepted them, and the girl was very, very happy. She had everything she ever desired.<br>But, one day, somebody mean put something on the internet. It was despicable and disgusting. The post called her a whore, and told stories that weren't true. And everybody believed it, except her friends and lover. And things only got worse! Soon, a billboard was put up, and then the worst; songs that she didn't sing were put up on radios! They were disgusting, described foul love, and horrible scenes that children shouldn't hear.  
>One happy day, they took the blog down. The billboards weren't a problem anymore, either. But the songs were still a problem. The girl was terrified, stressed, completely tortured through her mind and soul. Nightmares followed her.<br>And one day, there was a terrible misunderstanding. She found her lover writing a song in their company's studio. But no…the girl wouldn't hear her girlfriend's explanation. She was so tortured, so stressed, so put under pressure, that she would immediately accept anybody who seemed plausible to be the blogger. Her terrified, scared mind even overlooked the fact that her lover only wanted to explain. Her nightmares distorted her worried face into an emotionless smirk. And the friend turned lover…she wanted her beloved to be left alone so much, she loved her so much, that she accepted to take the blame for all of it! She admitted to doing the horrible crimes, in front of everybody she knew, including the one she loved, the one who saved her! The girl was heartbroken, and fled into the forest in which they tumbled, completely upset, and for the first time, suicidal. And then, she passed out, scratched and bloodied, under a tree…"

Miku trailed off. The cubs tilted their heads to the side, as if curious to why she wasn't continuing.

"I…don't know the rest…" gasped Miku, puzzled. Suddenly, the cubs smiled. The grin tore their snouts apart, and their eyes turned white. Mama bear dissolved into a large cloud of thunder and lightning.

"Come now, wake up!"

And with a bolt of lightning, Miku was shot awake.

* * *

><p>Headlines, news reports, all sorts of media were all announcing the same; repeating the same dreaded facts. People, even if they heard the words before, already read the titles, already skimmed the pages; they always stopped to listen, to read, to see. And yet…<p>

Megurine Luka was going on trial the next day. Her parents were hopelessly hopeful, getting the best lawyer in the country, trying to get people to fight for Luka's side. And yet…even the pink-haired singer had admitted it; it was a wonder why she even got the trial. And Miku…

Miku was almost a whole other story. Missing, lost, maybe dead. Everybody saw her. Every camera caught her. Every child sighted her running through the city, completely shaken, in tears, crying out in utter pain. She would run…run, off towards an unknown destination. They lost her at the edge of the forest, where she had mostly likely traveled to find death.

Neru and Haku were being harassed endlessly, as they were the only ones in reach; nobody knew where the other friends were. Old classmates were being pestered. Families were being troubled.

The world was shaken.

Miki didn't know what to think. Was it all true…? Were the pictures, videos, of Luka going absolutely wild really true? Was it a cosplayer? A secret twin sister? Some look-alike? No…it was definitely Luka. Miki knew it, with a stab to her heart. But did this REAL Luka really do this? Did she really make Miku go on a suicide trip to the forest, the roots of their nightmares?

The proof seemed undeniable. Meiko and Kaito, and even Gakupo, didn't counter-react. Nobody they knew did ANYTHING. It was a helpless situation. Nobody stuck out a finger to try to change a freezing, hopefully transformed, reality.

Miki desperately hoped that this was a mirage. But this reality already seemed like an illusion; too strange, bizarre to comprehend, and yet this truth was painfully present.

Miki didn't have to ask her parents twice to go see Luka. In fact, instead of giving her a spoken reply, all her parents did was put on their coats, grab the car keys, and go out.

Now they were in front of that terrifying prison. So many people, people who did bad things, were locked up in here…

They got permission to enter, and a guard escorted them to Luka's cell. The whole place was eerily silent. Not one single prisoner did anything. All they did was sit with a creepy, blank expression, a mix of relief, fear, and anticipation, as if the slightest sound would set off a bomb.

Miki knew that the bomb was Luka. The scarring laughs were recorded and caught on video, and it chilled to the bone. These men and women heard it in real life, for hours on end, helpless. She wondered how much of a task that was.

Finally, they arrived at the cell. An extra guard stood in front of it, sweat dripping from his temple, down his cheek, and dropping down to the ground from his chin. He trembled and shook.

"She won't stop staring, Junichi-senpai!" he mumbled, talking to the guard who escorted them. The guard, now known as Junichi, nodded.

"I'm so happy I'm not on the surveillance shift" he mumbled, sympathy audible in his voice for his coworker.

"You better be…she's burning a hole through my back!" whimpered the man.

Miki had never heard that phrase spoken so sincerely.

Now that it was mentioned, the air around them felt foul, incredibly toxic, even. And yet, she breathed, and it didn't smell weird. It was just…so very alien, it was toe-curling and chest-constricting. A lump formed in her throat.

Junichi turned towards them.

"Stay as long as you like" he said. Miki knew that he said that only because he knew that they wouldn't be capable to stay very long at all.

The redhead gulped, and approached the small barred window.

Luka was sitting in the farthest corner, to the left. She was shaking slightly, quiet laughs echoing between the walls.

Miki froze when she saw the smile. A cold, merciless shiver ran down her spine and her stomach got upset. That smile froze her to the bone, even though she was looking at it from a safe ten feet. The lips twitched, as if making an effort to keep that smile up.

Miki wondered how the room wasn't covered by ice by then. The shimmering white teeth caught the weak light, making the sight even worse.

The girl nearly jumped back from the cage, startling her parents and the guard.

"She's…" she whimpered.

She was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying and…insane.

The realization shocked her to the core.

What was going on?

Her parents moved towards the window, and froze in their turn. But Miki didn't realize, still shocked.

"She's…."

"Scary?" asked Junichi. Miki nodded, not even looking at him. The man sighed. "Her trial is tomorrow, already"

"Already?" asked Miki, wondering why he wasn't happy that Luka would get out. Then it hit her.

"She has no chance; she'll stay in jail for a long time"

"But…"

"Or in another prison, considering that she's still a minor…" he mumbled. Miki just stared at nothing in particular, stunned.

"She has no chance…?"

"I don't think so…" he sighed again. "I mean…! I want her to get out, live a life, sing, but…she confessed!"

Miki nodded.

Luka didn't seem to have a chance at all. And Miku… was most likely dead. There was nothing she could do, either. She had no alibis, nothing real to build on.

She sighed, tears brimming to the eyes.

What was going to become of Luka…?

* * *

><p>"I'm going to bed early…" whispered Gumi, excusing herself from the dinner table.<p>

Rin watched her go with slightly narrowed eyes.

The atmosphere was sickening, as usual. Nobody replied to the greenette, and barely anybody had touched their food. Every now and then, a bite, a chew, a sip, but nothing aside that.

"Guys, Gumi is hiding something from us" declared Rin.

The sudden statement piqued everybody's interest, but hardly.

"What do you mean, Rin…?" asked Gakupo, sounding tired, barely seeming to really care.

"She…says that Luka's not really the culprit. She knows who really did it"

The table exploded.

"What?" asked Meiko, eyes wide, knocking her chair to the floor as she stood. Kaito grabbed her arm, wordlessly begging her to sit down again, as they weren't the only ones in the dining room. Meiko, with a trembling hand, picked her chair back up and sat down next to the others, who all staring at Rin with wide eyes.

"What do you mean?" asked Len, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Rin sighed.

"She's pretty sure about who the culprit really is, but…"

"But what? Why doesn't she just spill the beans?" demanded Gakupo.

"She loves her"

Silence.

"Well, I'm not sure, but-"

"Wait, wha…?"

"LET ME…explain" yelled Rin at Kaito's interruption. "I caught Gumi crying on the balcony two days ago. She stammered that she KNEW who it was, and said that it's another girl other than Luka"

"So?" insisted Meiko.

"Gumi really, really didn't want to say who it was…she was more upset than even Miku"

Silence.

"I…don't think that's possible…" mumbled Meiko. "Miku was crying so hard she fainted"

"She hit her head, Meiko" reasoned the twin.

"Still…she cried so much in only a few seconds there was a puddle on the floor. Besides, it was dark. I don't think one could have been more upset…"

Rin digested the information as she continued speaking.

"In any case…she thinks she knows who it is. And tomorrow, if she can't find any justification, then she'll have to tell us, for Luka and Miku"

The table fell silent. They didn't ask why Rin was so lenient; the reason was justified without words. They knew the strength of emotions, and if what Rin said was true, then it must have been earth-shattering for the greenette to have to know.

"She'll tell us tomorrow, then?" asked Kaito.

"Yes"

"But tomorrow's…Luka's trial" said Gakupo. Rin sighed.

"Well…we can't go there"

"I want to go there, though"

"They won't let us"

"It's kind of odd, don't you think? That they won't let us go to our friend's defense…they didn't even call us in!"

* * *

><p>Neru rubbed her chin.<p>

This was a mess. Everybody had made a huge mess out of everything. Of course, the blogger had made his little precious contributions to this entire hellhole.

A masterwork, it was. First, he made sure that Luka would be the only likely one responsible for the entire crime. During that time, the tension built would be enough to separate the group slightly. Of course, when they would 'find out' that it was Luka, Miku would break down, and flee to mend her heart; killing herself.

However, it would be tricky to make Luka accept being put into jail.

But that nasty blogger was a genius. Luka had accepted the blame in order to ease everyone from their tortured consciousnesses. Of course, there would be a trial.

Anybody else would have stopped there. But no; the blogger saw that during the wait for the trial, he could be unmasked, or Luka could come to her senses. He sent everybody off, making sure that they wouldn't be able to come for the trial. Then, with Luka guilty, Miku dead, and the others lost, he could do pretty much…

…

Nothing more than before.

WHAT was the purpose of all this, and more importantly; why did he let Neru and Haku stay?

Letting them stay was one of the stupidest errors he could have made. They could appear in court, set Luka free and then there would be a happy little ending.

Neru's eyes widened.

No…

When Luka became free…Miku would still be lost or dead. Then…Luka would kill herself as well.

Neru inhaled, and exhaled.

There was practically no purpose in sending most of the group away, then. Every outcome was the same, it seemed; both idols dead.

But…did he WANT Neru and Haku to come?

Neru thought it through. They could very easily enter the court and try to free Luka from her cell.

Alone, just the two of them.

Of course, the 'tour' was private; nobody else knew of it. If only Neru and Haku showed up, it would give the rest of the group a horrible, cold image.

Neru growled, realizing that now, she couldn't go to the trial to try and free Luka; neither could Haku. But…

A light bulb lit above Neru's head.

_Of course!_

After all, a backup plan is called a backup plan for a reason!

Neru grabbed her cell phone, and called their backup.

"-What?-"

"You need to go to the trial, and get Luka out of there!"

"-…why? I mean, weren't you supposed to go, with Haku?-"

"Just us two? What about the rest?"

"-You know that they're…wait. You know I can't go; it'll only give you all an even worse image!-"

"Honestly, I didn't expect you to get it so quickly"

"-Well thanks, but I can't go for you. And besides, if there's anybody around here that knows about public image, it's _moi. _But I can't go.-"

"Yes, you can. I know about the public image and such, and that YES, you will worsen ours. But it will boost your own reputation, plus if we're ALL gone, then the public will know that it's a fishy situation, since you don't belong to our group"

"-You're brilliant, you know that?-" asked a sultry voice.

"Back off, I have a boyfriend"

"-Haha, don't worry; I already have my eyes on someone~.-" Neru's eyes widened at the statement.

"What?"

"-I hope she's ok…I mean, she's smart. She m-"

"Right, right. Well, I'll be watching your SHINING success from the TV"

"-I won't disappoint.-"

"I know that"

"-See ya~!-"

Neru hung up, and dialed to call Haku, still wondering who her backup could possibly be interested in.

* * *

><p>Miku gasped.<p>

Tears were streaming down her eyes. She was on the ground, on her stomach, looking ahead. But she didn't see anything.

She just cried.

Her arms reached out in front of her; grabbing a handful of grass. Her knuckles turned white.

She cried.

The realization. The blissful relief.

What had she done…?

Miku got up to her feet, feeling ill.

The realization. The biting fear.

She leaned against a tree, hugging herself.

What had she done?

Miku howled.

That son of a bitch tricked them ALL! He…

She yelled louder, the pain and relief mixing her up.

She had blamed Luka. She had taken too much. The blogger had tortured her so, that she would take ANY answer.

And Luka accepted the blame.

For her…

Miku felt madder than she had ever been. Stars danced in her eyes.

The blogger was going to get it…!

Miku grit her teeth, tears blinding her.

She…was going to KILL him!

She turned on her heels.

And froze.

The bear was looking at her, those deep brown eyes never letting her out of his sight.

Miku cried.

"Thank you!" she yelled, and hugged around the bear's head. The animal reacted quickly, swiftly, and pulled back out of defense. Miku didn't care that she had just angered a dangerous animal.

Luka wasn't guilty!

Luka didn't do it!

Miku smiled, her anger disappearing into an ocean of bliss, happiness.

She ran.

She sprinted as fast as she could. She ignored the wounds on her body, the tears in her clothes.

Luka wasn't guilty!

She ran, pushing aside all branches that would have met her.

She was going to pull her beloved from the trance she KNEW she was in. She was going to get her out of prison. She was going to stop the blogger. And finally, she was going to go and get her own Happy Ending!

She laughed, and ran. Tears flew out of her eyes, not having time to cling on her skin.

She had no time to lose.

She KNEW where she had to go. She KNEW that her heart would lead her to the love of her life.

She KNEW exactly where her heart would lead her.

* * *

><p>Rin sat in Meiko's room, with Meiko, Kaito, Gakupo, and Len with her. They were sitting quietly, barely moving.<p>

It was two minutes before twelve. It was two minutes before Gumi had to spill the beans.

Rin didn't want to be so strict about the whole 'you have three days' thing. But this was the latest deadline she could offer; the moment the clock struck twelve. If they waited 'till morning, they would never get to Luka's trial on time.

The screen of the digital clock flickered, giving Gumi one more minute. The greenette they were all waiting for was in her room, still thinking.

Rin felt slight pity for the girl, as the seconds ticked on. Trying to lift her own spirits, she distractedly hummed a song.

Nothing seemed to help.

Her twin was playing with a piece of paper, like Gumi did the night of the sleep over. Except he was tearing it apart, not turning it into a fish.

Kaito played with his scarf, as he usually did when anxious…nervous. Meiko sat next to him on the bed, just staring.

Gakupo sat next to Rin, playing with his fingers. Right index on left thumb, left index on right thumb, and so on. The repetitive circles made Rin dizzy, but she couldn't help but do the same with her own hands.

Twelve o'clock was written on the digital display.

Rin sighed.

"I'm going to go ge-" the door opened before she could finish. Gumi entered the room, expression blank. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her hair was a mess. She sat without a word at the dining table, next to Len. The boy was shaking slightly.

Without a word, everybody joined them around the table. They waited with a strained patience as Gumi gathered her thoughts.

When the silence lasted too long, and when silent tears started running down Gumi's face, Rin cleared her throat, feeling bad.

"Gumi…" whispered Rin. "Please…tell us" the green-haired girl only tightened her grip on her jeans. Tears rolled down her cheeks in silence, smothering the atmosphere.

"I…have to. For Luka, and Miku…" she whispered, as if talking to herself.

Nobody could summon a single word. They knew that whatever they might say would make Gumi burst into tears, or render her incapable of talking.

The effort Gumi was making was so palpable, it was almost scary.

"It's…" she exhaled strongly, and started muttering incoherently under her breath. "It…"

The fear, strain, and sadness seeped out of the girl in waves. Meiko took hold of Kaito's hand, and Len hugged himself, missing Neru. Rin ignored a sudden loneliness as she observed them. But she felt Gakupo scoot closer to her, and that warmed her heart slightly. She leaned against him, shyly, before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Gumi…" whispered Gakupo, breaking the shuddering silence. "Instead of saying a name…try telling us WHY it would be the person you suspect"

Gumi shook her head, but it was visible that weight had been taken off her shoulders.

"She…she has a REASON…to take down both of them. She…she UNDERSTANDS…what they had been through…she KNOWS how to get into their heads, and she's…so incredibly talented…talented enough to do…to do all that"

Rin felt herself tear up.

"How would she have written the blog?"

"SHE…" Gumi stopped herself. "She…goes to Crypton. Almost daily…now-Before. And…well, she knows Miku and Luka enough... She knows how they think…she knows what they, no, HOW they love…!"

Nobody dared to speak up, despite the lack of sense.

"How would she have made the billboard?" asked Len, quietly, gently.

"You don't know…" Gumi shivered. "She paints. She loves to paint, and fold. She…taught me how to fold that fish, before…"

Kaito nodded, so subtlety that it was almost impossible to see.

"How would she have recorded Miku's voice, and put the blame on Luka?"

"We see her every day…almost…" sighed Gumi. "She…just turned the recorder on, and gave it to Luka, slipping it into her pocket, I don't know…"

The pieces were slowly coming together, but they still couldn't place exactly who it was. But now it was becoming clear; this suspect had a real reason to do all that. And apparently thought just like the two idols to know how to get in their heads. But the most shuddering fact was that they saw her every day.

Meiko gasped.

"LILY!"

Gumi broke into sobs.

* * *

><p>Miku didn't care what time of the day it was. She ran, on and on.<p>

As she sprinted, she remembered the last time she went through these woods. Compared to then, this was a breeze; nothing to carry, no famine, no fatigue. She didn't feel an urgent need from her body. She felt an emergency call from her heart.

Instead of forgetting everything besides survival, she remembered everything, for going faster. Every laugh and cry echoed in her head, urging her to go faster; be there sooner.

Her clothes were torn, but not to the point of being extremely indecent; just a few cuts here and there. Her skin bled a little, but most scratch wounds had closed. The only thing that hurt now was the guilt in her heart.

_How could I have blamed it on Luka…?_

The blogger had done a marvelous job; torturing her to that point…

Miku didn't know who it was, and frankly, she didn't care at the given moment. All she needed to do was get to Luka's arms, and hug her again. Touch her again. Kiss her again. Live with her…again.

The thoughts, instead of torturing her because they weren't real yet, made her feel more alive. She remembered everything, to remember more, to live more. She wanted to relive the past; to have a future.

Miku breathed deeply, throat dry and lungs aching.

She didn't care. She ran.

* * *

><p>Hour: One in the morning.<p>

Group Leader: Meiko.

Driver: Rin.

Navigator: Len.

Food Supplier: Kaito.

Lookout: Gakupo.

Emotional Wreck: Gumi.

Operation: T.R.I.A.L.: Take Really Important Awesome Limo.

Meiko held her phone close to her ear.

"Gakupo?" she asked.

"-The coast is clear!-" came his reply.

"Good!" Meiko, with Rin right behind, dashed towards the garage.

"LEN! Where do we go now?"

"-Turn left, then right. There's a door.-" The two girls followed his instructions, and opened the door. "-The fifteenth car on your left is the limo; wait there.-"

"Why wait?" hissed Rin.

"-Kaito is having trouble in the kitchen-" answered Gakupo.

Gakupo and Len were, right then, in the camera room. Their hotel was outfitted with the top security for their safety. So the two boys went there, to be able to make sure that the operation went smoothly.

"Oh, brilliant…make sure he's ok" whispered Meiko, a hint of worry in her voice.

The slightest slip-up would make their mission fail completely.

Len saw the two girls approach the long car, and wait nervously. Gakupo glanced behind him, making sure that the guards weren't coming back from their midnight coffee break.

"WELL?" pressed Meiko, getting impatient after a few seconds. Len sighed, and looked at the screens to his left. One of them showed Kaito raiding the cupboards as silently as possible as the guard slept lightly. Gumi was with him, sniffling.

"Agh, Gumi should have gone with you two…" he mumbled into the phone.

"-Well, carrots do make her feel better!-" replied Rin. At the moment, Len saw Kaito hand the greenette a bag of carrots. Gumi hesitantly took one, and slowly began nibbling on it. The boy then resumed stuffing the bags with delicacies.

"KAITO, hurry up!" hissed Gakupo in his phone. Kaito scrambled to answer, his hands full.

"-How much food do you think we'll need…?-" he asked.

Len sighed.

"Bring more carrots than anything else; the trip won't be THAT long!"

"-Right-" The blue haired boy finished stuffing the bag, grabbed Gumi's arm and ran for it.

"Turn right, left, left again, and right. Meiko and Rin are standing by the car" instructed the blonde boy.

It was pretty exciting, really. He felt like he was in a movie.

"Ah, they're coming!" urged Gakupo. Len jumped, and felt his heart start to beat faster. When Kaito and Gumi reached the two girls, he sighed.

"Ok, we can go!" he whisper-yelled.

Without warning, Gakupo pushed him backwards, under the control table.

"They're here!" he said between his teeth. Len gulped. Indeed, a pair of men entered the room. Len couldn't see their faces from under the table. Both security guards had guns, and sticks, and were filled with coffee.

"If they see us, we'll never leave…" whispered Len. Gakupo nodded.

"-WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? G-" Len shut his phone, breaking off Rin's call. Gakupo did the same. They could hear their hearts beat in their ears.

The two men took their seats. Len gulped, knowing that their four friends by the car would be spotted immediately.

"Well, seems that everything is clear…" mumbled one of the men. Len held back a sigh of relief.

"What did I say? A half-hour coffee break does no harm to anyone!" both men laughed, before talking about the game from the previous night.

Len grit his teeth. Ok, they were out of sight, but they had to leave NOW.

"What do we do?" he whispered to Gakupo. Luckily the control table was high and wide; they had plenty of space.

"Uh…wait?"

"We don't have time, for crying out loud"

"Well…any better ideas?"

"Uh…distract the guards?"

"We could ask the others to do that" Len shook his head, losing his breath.

"No; they'll just send the guards who are already there…"

"How far are we from the garage?"

"Not far…why….?"

"WE RUN FOR IT!" Gakupo grabbed Len by the collar, and dashed form under the table, accidentally pushing over one of the guards, and Len inadvertently kicking the other in the jaw.

"ARE YOU CRA-NO, THE LEFT! THE LEEEFT!" Gakupo skidded to a stop, before continuing his sprint down the indicated corridor.

"Get them!" Gakupo bit his lip, running faster.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE THE MOST INSANE IDIOT EVER! WHAT IN THE NAME OF HELL EVER GAVE YOU THIS WONDERFUL- RIGHT! RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT! IDEA? HAVE YOU LOST YOU MIND?"

"There they are!"

"THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO FLAWLESSLY, WITHOUT BEING NOTICED! AND YOU JUST HAD TO GO AND RUN AND I JUST HAVE TO KEEP YELLING LIKE A MORON, WAKING UP THE ENTIRE HOTEL AND OH WHY WON'T I JUST SHUT THE HELL UP?"

"There you are!" Exclaimed Meiko.

"OPEN THE FREAKING DOOR AND START THE ENGINE!" hollered the blonde boy, still being dragged by the collar. Rin didn't waste any time and started the car. The fleeing duo jumped into the backseat, and they drove off.

"Operation T.R.I.A.L. success!" cheered the brunette.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'SUCCESS'? GAKUPO JUST HAD TO-"

"WE GET IT! SHUT UP!" Len shrunk in his seat, leaving everybody to stare at Rin, who was smirking as she drove the limo right through the garage door.

* * *

><p>When the locks on the door clanged, Luka's eyes shot up. The grin on her face widened when two men carefully entered.<p>

"Is she asleep?"

"Why would I be?" answered Luka; raising her head, looking up at them with wide eyes and teeth shown past stretched lips. Her pale skin was almost transparent, and her pupils were as small as dots.

The two men jumped back, making Luka laugh loudly.

"Don't mind her actions! Just grab her, and bring her to the trial!" rang the orders from outside the room.

"Oh, a TRIAL, huh? What an HONOR!" Luka laughed. "I wonder what I DID to DESERVE such a thing!"

As she curled up in laughter on the floor, the two men grabbed her by the straitjacket, and lifted her up. She ignored them completely, and laughed all the way towards the large room.

The softer lights and immense chamber didn't startle the pinkette. She merely continued laughing, giggling, with eyes wide open in front of her parents, the press, and the entire city.

She was put in her spot, and two burly men stood at each side of her, making sure she wouldn't leave or escape.

After a few minutes of ruckus, with Luka still staring at the void in her mind's eye, the Judge slammed his hammer on the table. The dry, blunt sound rang through the court room. Luka sat in her seat, gaze empty, grin evil.

"Order in the court!" he ordered, his voice booming. He was a middle-sized man with broad shoulders, and brown hair came down to his shoulders. It looked as if he was in his mid-forties.

Everybody calmed down and sat in their seats. The flashing of photography material and Luka's soft laughing were the only sounds still audible. The court reporter waited for the trial to begin, fingers hanging over the keyboard.

"We gather here today for Megurine Luka's trial. She is charged for manipulation, heavy and lethal blackmail, robbery and the uncertain murder of Hatsune Miku" stated the judge, before turning towards Luka.

"Does the defendant have anything to say in her defense?" he asked, addressing the pinkette. The girl merely stared at him.

"I'm afraid not, _your honor~_" she spoke, venom dripping from her words. The man flinched.

"And what about you, Ryuu-san?" he asked, talking to Luka's lawyer. The mentioned man stood tall, willing to win even this impossible case. Hair gel reflected light off his sleek, black hair, and he smelled of aftershave and cologne. The perfection of his attire was sublime. He was an extremely well-mannered, well-organized man.

"Megurine-yōgisha has most likely been victim to manipulation from the criminal's part. She has always been loyal to her friends; never would she stab them in the back"

"How would you know~?" asked Luka. The man looked at her, with slightly wide eyes. "You know, this is pointless. Just arrest me already" she stated. If she wasn't wearing her straitjacket, she would have added a noncommittal wave of the hand to her sentence. The Judge rubbed his forehead, mumbling.

"We shall now hear from the witnesses" he declared. It was clear that he wanted to go home soon; he also thought that this whole deal was useless. "Megurine-yōgisha's parents, please step up"

The mentioned couple stood even taller than Ryuu as they stepped up to defend their daughter.

"My daughter has never had the skills to hack any website, let alone her own computer!" stated the man. "Just a few weeks ago, she asked me to remove a small error window on her computer!"

"How much time does she spend behind the computer?" asked the prosecutor, Akio. This individual wasn't as clean and neat as Luka's representative, but the way he stood and moved exhaled confidence and authority.

The woman quickly and smoothly gave her answer.

"She only opens her computer once every evening, to check her e-mail, and a few other popular sites, such as NicoNicoDouga. Never more than ten minutes, though"

"Has this time been increasing lately?"

The couple froze.

"Yes…" they answered with pain in their voices. But their expressions didn't fall; they refused to go down.

"Has she been acting differently than the usual?"

"No; she was and always has been cheery, willing to help, and friendly. In fact, ever since she met Hatsune Miku, she-" the woman interrupted herself; she wasn't to reveal their relationship, she had promised. "She has never been so happy, your honor. Never before have I seen her smile so much, sing with as much happiness"

"Can you think of a reason for which she would do such things?"

"Not one. All she ever wanted to do was sing! She got her job, and enjoyed everything that came out of it"

Ryuu took this opportunity to interrupt.

"There is no veritable proof against Megurine-yōgisha. Yes, she has been spotted using Crypton's equipment, but only once"

The prosecutor decided to add his own grain of salt.

"Yes, but her own parents have admitted that she did spend quite some time behind the screen at her own home"

"But they also mention that she lacks the skills to hack Crypton itself" argued Luka's representative, the volume rising.

Luka was sitting through the entire ordeal in silence, ignoring everything around her. She seemed almost bored.

"Silence!" boomed the Judge. He gestured towards the prosecutor.

"Well…" started Akio. "Let us start from the beginning, shall we? The very first hint of this 'Blogger's' activity was the actual blog. This blog has been taken down. We are not 100% sure by whom-"

"Rin did it~!" declared Luka, grabbing everyone's attention. "Kagamine Rin took down the blog. You know, she is REALLY good with computers!"

"Are you telling us that we should consider Kagamine-san as a suspect?" asked the judge. Luka laughed.

"Oh, hells no! She worked so freaking hard to take the blog down…seriously; nobody would go through THAT much effort to destroy her own work!"

Akio cleared his throat, while the parents were visibly trying to cope with Luka's attitude.

"Well, it seems that Kagamine-san is absent today, as are every single one of your other friends, Megurine-yōgisha. But now we know who took it down. But the blog itself has called Hatsune-san by many names, most of them, not to be mentioned today" Luka laughed, as if it was really funny. "Can we develop on this subject? The blog, I mean"

Ryuu didn't waste a second.

"We can already say that Luka didn't have the means to write the blog"

"A stalemate, then?"

"No! Not a stalemate! Luka never had the time, nor the abilities or the equipment to get into Crypton!"

"She could have entered the site from within the facility itself" replied Akio smoothly. "She went there almost every day"

"And you know, I had MANY opportunities to smuggle myself up there!" chanted Luka. "You know, Miku was at home, really, really upset most of the time, lately. I had the PERFECT excuse to 'go home early' to comfort her~"

"LUKA!" gasped her mother.

"What? Just helping these dear folks to get little old me into jail~" her father squinted his eyes.

"Why do you want to get in there so badly?"

"BECAUSE SHE'S DOING IT FOR ME!"

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaaand…that's it. 8D <strong>

**I think I'm going to…hold back the preview once more (Sowwee).**

**Ohoho, I had SO MUCH fun with this chapter~! …almost too much fun. ._. And I actually wrote down the first part…three months ago, but I had a huge block right before the trial, mainly because I had NO IDEA about how trials worked. If you spot any errors, or have any tips, please tell me. :)**

**As for the next update…I hope it'll be soon; my summer vacation is finally starting (FINALLY~!). And on that note…**

**THIS STORY IS ONE YEAR OLD~! *o* *throws big party* I never thought that this would last so long. XvX I just randomly decided one day to sit at the kitchen table and write…oh, how far have I come~**

**And a big round of applause for AltairSV for his incredible observation skills~! *claps*. :D**

**Ok, time for the official stuff!**

**Well, first of all, I must thank Jak656 for beta-reading. ^^ **

**Second of all…**

**OMG, SO MANY REVIEWS. 0.0 Seriously…so many I can't count…four pages of them on the site...**

**Then THANK YOU to all who reviewed! And I'm particularly happy with all of these reviews because there was CRITIQUE. Oh, yes, I LOVED it. I loved hearing all of your opinions, and thoughts~… If I had those kinds of reviews all the time, I would just pump out chapters 24/7. **

**But also, thank you to all who reviewed! Most of them were pretty fun to read (of course; I'm an evil author).**

**But…it's puzzling; why would everybody review on just this chapter…? Why not the other ones..? *shrugs* In any case, I'm glad that everyone who reviewed, reviewed. :)**

**Jak656: **Well, sorry for the delay. Life gave me lemons…T^T But this chapter was faster, wasn't it~? :3  
>And yes, I decided to end it like that. XD But now the suspense is over~<br>Thank you~ ^w^

**Code03x1: **I thought you would love it. ;D  
>But don't go running into walls! You just finished this chapter; everything is explained~ ^^ Well…most of it. ._.<p>

**Purplemoonfanfic: **Well, you have your answers now; why, and who. :)

**Rm928: **And I updated again. XD I hope you enjoyed~

**PaperCutVictim: **It's always things that nobody ever expects to happen that happen. ;) And YES, you should find time to write! ;P

**VSinger: **I must thank you IMMENSELY for the amazing review. I warmed my heart and encouraged me to write so much more, and much faster. Thank you so much. ^^

**Medoree: **Yes, the story isn't over! Keep your hopes up! I hope this chapter explained a little~

**Lukadaisuki: **I hope you feel better after reading this~ ^^ Thank you~

**FisheyCakes: **OMG, poor sandwich! XD Wow, my chapter made you be late? Thank you…I guess. ._.  
>And the next chapter was JUST FINISHED by you about…five seconds ago. If you read these replies at all. 'XD<br>I know that; but PlayStations are efficient for just that reason; they don't need other chemicals to cool down; just half a dozen fans suffice. :)

**Yuukimoko: **Well, I guess I was lying~ ^^

**AltairSV: **You deserve a round of applause! Bravo! I didn't think that someone would take their time and study these little clues! You deserve a cookie! *gives cookie* I'm glad you went all detective-mode; your review was excellent to read, and extremely fun. I hope you review again sometime. :)

**NeverMakeSense: **Haha, liking stories in which the whole build-up is destroyed does not make you a sadist…at least in my book (cough I actually enjoy those stories, too cough). I hope you enjoyed~!

**FeeptheNinja: **Well, the temporary insanity thing is answered now~ ^^'  
>And why I'm screwing with every emotion? Because reading reviews like yours' are…fun. XP I hope you enjoyed this chapter~ :)<p>

**** *the penname with a bunch of 'no's; ff wouldn't save it***:** …Interesting penname choice. XP I hope this chapter answered your questions~

**Zoop Top: **Haha, sorry for the lack of preview… I hope that this chapter has…helped you calm down a bit (here's more juice ;)). I'm glad you're back into MikuxLuka; this realm has missed you~! :D

**Paru Café: **Hey, new username~ :3  
>Thank you for all the compliments (though, had they been in any other context, they would be insults…like most of the reviews. XD), and the long expressive rant. XD Authors don't really hate their characters…they like experimenting with them. Plus the public's reaction to the chaos is PRICELESS. XD<br>*hands tissue* ^^

**Chinensis' Fan: **Apparently, Miku did find the bear back…or did it find her?  
>Indeed, the bear seems very nice, now…<p>

**Stillhoping4u:** Sorry, I already promised a troll from an earlier chapter that no new relatives were going to spring into this: no evil twins.  
>Well, before you know it, this will get a good ending! Who knows~?<p>

**HikariSHa: **WOAH~! XD Don't damage your PC, and DEFINITELY don't shoot me! You won't know who this ends, if you do. ._.

**LRMS: **I'm glad you don't think the previous chapter was empty, and I'm flattered that my text had such an effect.  
>Don't kill Luka just now; she needs her neck. ;)<p>

**Daishi Michiko:** Well, better late than never, I guess…? Even e-mail isn't perfect~  
>If Daishi really saw it coming, then she's smart! ;D<p>

**Halios Mililios: **Well, I hope you liked this chapter~ ;)

**Rinku558: **Thank you very much for the review! I'm glad you told me what you didn't like, and actually told me WHY. I know there wasn't enough development; I realize that now that I'm quite a ways further up the road. And overboard…yes maybe, but I like things crazy and exaggerated. Thank you for continuing to read this, and leaving a very meaningful review. :)

**Taylor9515: **I know we already discussed about your review, and let me say again that I'm glad you reviewed, and told me what you thought. I hope to hear more from you. :)

**Luci23: **Why Luka? Plot twists, my friend. And cliffies; those are always fun. ;P

**t1Mb3r: **I'm really glad you enjoyed my story. ^^ And I hope you liked this chapter, too, with most answers to your questions~ And nope; life is just not flawless; no drama is no fun. ;D

**Kimikokatsumi: **Updated! And I hope you enjoyed~ ^^ And thank you for the very nice review~ :)

**TheLastOne: **Thank you very much~ And I hope you enjoyed this chapter~ :)

**TenebraeCaelum: **Well, I hope that this chapter answered all of your questions~ ^^ And thank you~

**Faystay: **Updated~! ;P And thanks~ ^^

**KuroX-Hero12: **Well, maybe this chapter has reassured you~ :)

**AliceTreeroot: **I am so sorry my latest chapter made you feel this way. I hope that this chapter makes you change your mind, if the idea of the betrayal has hurt you so much. Please keep in mind that I love the pairing to death, and that if I make them suffer, it's so that in the end, they'll shine brighter than ever. Again, I apologize for hurting you.

**Kaihime17: **Well, I hope this chapter made you feel better~! ^^

**Meislovely: **XD Shiro, calm down~ ;P

**Stalker01: **Haha, sorry for the mean cliffie~! I hope this update helped~ ;P  
>This tory, a thriller? Hmm, no, just drama. But I guess I got pretty close. XP<br>Ah, du sprichst deutsch? Hoffentlich mache ich keine fehler… x.x' I also learn German at school, but I'm not very good at it... but good job! Your English is very good! :)  
>Thank you~!<p>

**RinRinSableheh: **Ah, did you~? XD Well, I guess someone must have guessed~ So good job! But why would she do that? I guess this chapter answered that~

**Evil4Corn: **Haha, cliffies; they're fun~ But I hope this chapter brought some light on the subject~ Thanks~

**DarkWolfHunter: **Thank you very, very much for the great review~ I understand if you didn't like the forest part as much; half people like it, the other half don't. I simply wrote it because, well, I like crazy. XD I'll re-write it soon, and make it more realistic.  
>And the reviews are extremely fun to read, aren't they~?<br>Many thanks for the report card, and again for the great review~!

**Shy Light Akemi: **Maybe this chapter helped you make up your mind whether Luka did it or not~ :)

**Eadin: **Thank you very, very much~ I'm very glad you enjoyed my story so much~  
>I hope you did enjoy this chapter! :D<p>

**LukaxMikuand HakuxNerufan: **Here's the chapter~! And please spare me from the leek~ ^^'

**AccountIgnored: **Very nice penname you got there~ :3 And I hope you enjoyed this chapter~! :D

**Team Konetsu: **I'm very glad that you enjoyed my story that much (hm, maybe Neru could give you a new PlayStation…). And I hope you enjoyed this chapter~! :D

…**Wow…43 reviews JUST for this chapter, not counting the accidentally doubled ones and the ones for earlier chapters…holy cow, so many reviews…  
>Well, I'll get to working on the next chapter a.s.a.p., so hold on~! :D<strong>


	17. Revelations

The world grew silent as Miku walked into the courtroom. Steps heavy, gasping for air; the idol had tears flowing down her eyes as she graced the spectators with shoulders wide and chin high.

There were many kinds of people in that room, and many more listening, watching the events. Some loved her. Some hated her. Some wanted her to break. Others wanted her to rise again. And some certainly wanted her dead. But Miku was standing and breathing for the one person that mattered to her, the one person who had grown colder than ever, who held her heart in iron chains and who controlled her life with her words.

"Hatsune Miku…" Grumbled the Judge, unhappy with the current course this trial was taking. Everybody was venomous, trying to either defend their own cause, or that of the broken diva's. The entire rulebook on which trials were based seemed to have been forgotten for most of these people's minds, as nobody really seemed to care but try to get Luka either in, or out of prison. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here…" he trailed off slightly towards the end of his sentence, noticing her state of dress; torn-up sleepwear. But he reminded himself that it was her own choice to appear in such a state to defend her friend in this hard time; as if he needed another snapping voice to complain. "Please, have a seat…you will be called up soon" he ordered, ignoring the flashing photographs.

Unbeknownst to him though, Miku's eyes had been searching for only one person from the very start. And that person wasn't very hard to find.

Megurine Luka. The very sight of the pinkette sent her into a blurry world of memories. She grew numb.

Was this the person she knew?

A blizzard, a tempest of ice, snow and fog from the deepest depths of the coldest caves of the wildest imagination was locked into Luka's eyes. The blue had died; replaced by knife blades and wisps of cigarette smoke frozen in time.

These were not the eyes Miku knew. She knew endless skies, deep oceans, a warm summer day with a cool breeze. She knew the life in Luka… not this death.

Miku felt herself grow heavy as she remembered that this was not the same person. Luka had given herself up for her happiness…Somehow, Miku couldn't think of a greater sign of love. Yet it tore her apart.

Swallowing difficultly, letting the world around her continue, she cried. Silent tears ran down her cheeks as she admitted to herself that it wasn't going to be easy. Not with this crowd, not with this attention. She needed to convince Luka that she didn't need that alternate personality, that she didn't need to sacrifice herself… and how would that be possible, with a jury and a judge? How could she convince a blinded mind that the manipulation isn't necessary?

Miku closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She could feel Luka's gaze on her…she could feel that despite the change, the pinkette still remembered somehow, in some way, who she loved.

"please stop doing this…" Miku whispered. Nobody heard her, obviously. Another loud, noisy debate had struck out, the judge yelling 'order' for the tenth time. "Please…" she sent a silent curse to whoever was sick enough to push them this far. And with that, she sent a message for help. To anywhere, anyone who would see that this was not the Luka they all knew…

"It's not Luka!"

Miku's eyes opened up wide, and turned around.

Rin, Len, Meiko, Kaito, Gakupo and Gumi were at the door, out of breath. Miku gasped. Had they found something?

The Judge sighed.

"Fine, then please step up and make a statement…" he waved his hand, allowing them forward. They all rushed, wanting to speak first.

Miku found Luka again, and looked at her, deep in her eyes.

"Can't you see, Luka…? You don't need to do this anymore…!"

Luka's steel eyes had widened. The statement that she wasn't it had created a tiny crack in the auto-persuasion that she was guilty.

Miku remembered, back when she had first seen Luka in jail.

_"It's you, isn't it?"_

She realized that that was when it started. Driven to make Miku happy, all Luka needed was the push. And in the present time, now days later, she's being pulled back. Her conviction was crumbling, and Miku could see a hint of it in her eyes.

The group of stars was obviously reasoning with the crowd right then, because with every passing minute, Luka's eyes cleared up in realization and in that clearing Miku could read: "It wasn't me".

Miku was about to smile, until a sudden statement blew her aback.

"It was Lily!"

Miku's sadness came back like an anvil. Feeling surprisingly betrayed, Miku had the sensation, strangely, that she had been deceived by an old friend.

Lily…?

She couldn't feel more let down. Thoughts invaded her mind, but it was all explained by the twins.

Jealousy. Anger. Where those really the woman's motivations?

Miku shook her head. She wanted to curl up into Luka's arms and cry…but her beloved was handcuffed, and behind the mask of her own personal Ms. Hyde. A mask which was crumbling further and further, as the twins reasoned with dexterity how it never could have been Luka, and that Lily was the only valid suspect they had.

The tealette shook her head…it couldn't be…

Lily wasn't present, obviously. This only made the people be more convinced about her treason. But the main question remained; Why did Luka say she did it?

"She's not herself" Miku whimpered. Faced with the feeling of such a close betrayal, she wanted Luka back as soon as possible, if just to hug her again. The girl wrapped her arms around her head, tears filling her eyes again. The loneliness was stabbing her to the core, feeling as if Lily had physically wounded her. It was different, yet not worse, than what she felt, when she thought that Luka had been the one. It was almost as personal, and Miku didn't know why. This ignorance made the girl feel even weaker to Lily's ploys. "Please let her go…" she never needed her pinkette as much as she did now.

"Anything you can say in Luka's defense, Miku?" asked the judge. "Or maybe in Lily's defense?" he offered, reconsidering.

Miku wanted to shake her head, call them all crazy, break her beloved out of her cuffs and smack her sane. But she sighed, and remained where she stood.

"Luka…you know you didn't do it…" she said, the room quieting down to hear her speech. She dropped her arms, showing the world her tears. "Luka…you were there every day. You saw me get tortured…you wanted it to end, for me, didn't you? So…you took the first way out…you put yourself on the line, for me…"

She gasped for air, trying to balance the sobbing and her words.

"You hurt me, Luka…you truly hurt me…"

But I still love you.

You still love me, don't you? Façade or not…

"But…please…don't go on. Please…be the Luka I knew…the Luka we all knew" she gasped for air. "Be the innocent person you were from the start…"

Please...you know it wasn't you…ever.

The judge sighed, content with the quiet in the room.

"Does anybody else wish to say anything?" he asked. Receiving no answer, he continued, raising the hammer. "Then this court is adjourned. We will return here tomorrow, with Masuda Lily as suspect. Megurine-yōgisha will remain in custody until then"

Miku felt as if she had been fed to a monster, a beast which took her heart out whole just to chew on it first. She couldn't bare to be without Luka for another day, another hour, another minute. She wanted to yell, but the sadistic pain clogged her throat.

Just as he was about to bring the hammer down, the doors swung open once again.

"Hold on there, sir!"

Hair wild, coat loose and face determined, Masuda Lily entered the room.

"Luka is not remaining in those cuffs, your honor!" she declared.

The Judge raised a brow, while Miku released a sigh. Her eyes remained fixated on that hammer, which hung centimeters away from the table.

"Masuda-san, while we all know the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty', Megurine- yōgisha is not stable. And let's not forget that you are currently the biggest suspect, given what we've heard just now"

Lily grit her teeth.

"She's only like that because you make her believe that she should! Didn't you hear Miku?! As long as you give Luka a reason to believe she's guilty, she'll be like that! Free her, and she'll be fine!"

"And why is that, Masuda-san? Surely you know the answer, as you're obviously on a first-name basis"

The blonde inhaled, before saying calmly.

"That's not my place to say, your honor"

Miku turned around, slowly. She took in Lily's features.

She wasn't the confident Lily that she knew. And yet…Miku felt as if another breath filled her; the betrayal which had hollowed her out had been killed. The blonde was helping. The betrayal was no more.

The Judge waited for her to continue, before sighing.

"Very well" he turned to the jury, the Foreman standing up. "The Jury will now decide whether to release Megurine Luka or not. The decision must be unanimous. The court is in recess" and with that, the hammer clammed on the table.

A mumble filled the space as the twelve men and women retired to another room.

Lily sighed and sat down on a bench. Miku turned towards her, not sure what to feel.

Anger…or happiness…?

Lily realized that the tealette was staring, eyes glazed and in disbelief. She smiled with tired eyes, and waved a hand nonchalantly.

"I didn't do it, don't worry. I honestly didn't"

"Aw yeah?" asked Kaito, approaching with the entire group behind him. "'Cause we have every single reason to believe that you are guilty!"

Lily's smile disappeared into a neutral stance.

"I can explain…"

"Well you better start explaining, alright?" demanded Meiko. She approached the blonde, leaning forward so that their faces were almost touching. Her voice went low and menacing as she continued. "You're lucky we haven't pummeled you with a bag of coconuts by now. Everything tells us that you brought Miku her hell. The bitter kind. And we're not…I repeat NOT, happy about that"

Lily inhaled deeply, before answering with a neutral tone.

"I didn't do it. I can explain everything. Really"

Meiko stood again, still not convinced.

"We'll wait till after Luka is released. Then you have a story to tell"

The only reply she got was a nod. Meiko accepted it nonetheless and returned to the group.

Lily sighed, crossing her arms. She could feel Miku's gaze on her.

"Sorry I'm late, Miku" she said, inviting the girl to sit next to her. The younger idol took a step closer, but didn't sit. "There was a rogue limo which caused a fair amount of traffic jams…"

The blonde looked at the broken girl. Her clothes were torn, her eyes bloodshot…and her mind was everywhere all at the same time. She could see it in her eyes. When Miku had returned from the forest with Luka in her arms, those eyes were the total opposite; focused, determined. These eyes were lost, wide, desperate for answers, for an end she couldn't locate.

This Miku had had half her mind, heart and soul torn from her. This Miku didn't know where to stand or where to go.

Lily opened her mouth, but closed it again.

"What is it Lily…?" Miku asked, quietly. "What is it that you have to say…?"

The woman chuckled softly, no joy audible.

"I don't get it…" she made eye contact, before stating "You don't hate me…"

Miku blinked once.

"I don't…"

"Why?"

It was Miku's turn to play fish. Her eyes darted from right to left.

"I'm…not really sure…"

Lily nodded, absent-mindedly observing the frustrated judge.

"But I can tell you this…" Lily turned again, not expecting Miku to have continued. "I…I don't want to hate anymore. Some part of me…I think…hated Luka for a little while. And I feel that that was killing me…" Miku turned, looking at the door through which the jury disappeared. "I am tired of the hate, Lily. I won't hate you until I know I have a reason to…I guess. I…I don't know. I just…"

She turned back to Lily, a weird look in her eyes.

"I just feel like I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you!" she said, louder than before. She then shook her head, blabbering nonsense. "I don't mean here, in this courthouse…! But…here…as an idol…with you, and Kaito, Meiko…Luka and everybody…I feel as if I have you to thank for everything I have"

Lily sat straight, very confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know…! I don't know anything anymore…just-"

Miku stopped, feeling a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Lily, smiling at her.

"Then tell me more when you know, ok? I'm not going to ask anything from you right now"

Miku hiccuped, before breaking out into tears.

She was so confused…falling forwards, her legs giving away, a pair of arms caught her and held her as she sobbed. Lily rubbed her back gently, trying to pin down why exactly she was fighting tears.

Meiko had been watching them the whole time, not sure what to think of the sobbing girl in the woman's arms. Lily certainly didn't look like she wanted to hurt the girl…

"I don't know anymore…" mumbled Kaito, also witnessing the scene. Meiko looked at him questioningly, to which he sighed. "Let's…when the trial ends. We'll talk it all out…when Luka is free…"

"Why?" demanded the brunette. "I mean…Lily is the suspect now! They'll seize her…won't they?"

"They probably will…but we're all completely totaled, and I don't want to fret about this stuff anymore. We'll talk it out, calmly. I…don't want to be angry anymore"

Meiko sighed.

"You have a point. Let's quit being angry for just a moment. If Lily says she can defend herself, so be it…"

The rest of the group agreed, silently waiting for the jury's decision.

"So how long do we wait?" asked Rin.

"Dunno for sure" answered Gakupo. "In any case, the jury will stay there until it's decided. If they take too long, we can leave eventually, and we'll be called back for the answer"

"Hm…how long do you think this will take?"

"Tough to say" Gakupo thought for a moment, leaning back against the bench. "They're working on sand, here. They're determining whether they should trust Lily's word or not, if Luka will find her sanity back when released. That's a shifty thing they have to decide upon"

"Do you think she was bluffing when she was saying that?" asked Rin.

Gakupo looked over at the blonde, who was still comforting Miku. Gakupo's mouth became a fine line.

"I…I don't think she is"

"What makes you so sure?"

"I don't know. It's just…" Gakupo looked a bit harder, before saying, carefully: "It's like she's been here before or something"

"Impossible" muttered Rin. "If that was the case, we'd have known"

"Really?" asked Gakupo. "How much do you really know about her?"

"Nothing much. But that makes her all the more suspect, doesn't it?"

Gakupo shook his head.

"Gumi knows her, it seems… Yet her knowledge only pushed her to protecting Lily…the only reason Gumi suspected her was because of what she had done recently…"

Rin didn't reply for a while.

"You really think that Gumi loves her?"

The man shrugged.

"I don't know…I've never seen them close, to be honest"

"Yeah…I thought maybe Lily had a thing for Haku, because she came to her once"

"I was thinking the same thing. In fact…" he trailed off.

"What?"

"Well…" he inhaled. "I said she had gone through this before, right?" Rin nodded. "Well…maybe she went to Haku in a moment of weakness, one like Luka is going through right now. And just like Luka, maybe Gumi wasn't there...so she went elsewhere"

"…but Luka couldn't reach out to anybody"

"No…we shut her off…"

"While Haku probably saved Lily…"

Gakupo raised his shoulders.

"Supposing everything we just said is correct, of course"

"Of course. Supposing" she answered, also shrugging.

"…It makes sense though"

"Kinda"

But both knew that they were talking about a mirage.

Len was pacing, a little frustrated that his sister was sitting next to Gakupo rather than staying with her brother. But he refused to rant and force her to do anything. Everything was a bit hectic, and he didn't need, or want, to add any pressure to anybody.

"Did I miss anything?" Len looked up, to see a girl with cherry-red hair and a question mark-like strand of hair poking out at the top of her skull.

"Uhh…" Len's eyes darted left and right. "Do I…?"

The girl's eyes widened.

"Oh, silly me! Of course I know your name, you're famous…sometimes I forget that everybody knows you and that it's not just me being your friend…" she stuck her hand out, smiling widely. "My name's Miki! I already met Luka, Miku and Meiko, and now I finally get to meet the charmingly dangerous Len Kagamine!"

Len frowned slightly at that.

"Uh…please, I'm not dangerous…and how did you get to know-"

"Oh, I met Meiko when she was selling tickets at the fundraiser. Also, me and Luka are related, cousins and all, so meeting Miku was part of the package!"

Len blinked.

"I see"

"So what did I miss?" asked the girl, her smile falling. "Ah…Luka's still up there…" she squinted. "Looks better though. Just a little"

"You saw her be-"

"Oh yeah, in her cell-thing" she shrugged. "I'm happy the air hasn't frozen over, to be honest. Last time I saw her, I thought she could kill me with a just a thought…"

"You visited her?"

"Family, we stick together…" she looked back at him, before smiling sheepishly. "Sorry if I'm a bit jumpy…kind of nervous…also, sorry if I cut you off, I tend to do that under high-stress/emotional levels" her eyes darted around again. "So where's Miku?"

Len turned and pointed discretely.

"Over there"

"In Lily's arms?!" she gasped. Len shrugged.

"Don't think much of it, we're all freaking out right now. Besides, we can all hug, right? It's not a crime"

"I guess…"

Miki looked around for a third time, also turning around, examining the entire room. Len could hear her mumble obvious observations, such as the presence of the press and the lack of the jury.

"Oooh, I just realized that you're all here!"

"We're two short, actually. Neru and Haku ar-"

"I know, not allowed near the courthouse for some bizarre reason" she frowned. "I didn't think you could stop someone from going to the place where law is enforced the most"

"It's probably a hack from the genius evil person who started this all"

"Yeah, probably. Oh, look! There's Rin and Gakupo!" she grinned. "Are they a thing?"

Len's eyes flared up.

"Rin and Gakupo?!" he looked at the two, sitting quietly on the bench. He blinked several times, noting the way with which Rin leaned against him oh so slightly. Len also remembered that Gakupo always brought Rin drinks while she worked on hacking the blog, and always called to make sure she didn't lose her mind. "I…I'm not sure"

"Oh, they're adorable" she looked at him. "Say, you have an eye on anyone?"

Len stammered.

"Uh…y-yeah…you see, uh…" he coughed, before standing straight and saying "..Neru"

"I see" she grinned. "Fortunately, just recently my heart got taken~" she looked off into the distance, obviously remembering her crush's face.

Len frowned, suddenly feeling alone. He looked at the floor right next to him, wishing he could see Neru. Maybe he would stand a little closer to her, look over her shoulder, into her eyes and…say that he loved her.

Though he didn't believe he was capable of feeling love. Not quite yet, especially when he looked at Miku and Luka... They were so passionate, so sincere…

"…you miss her, don't you?" asked Miki.

He nodded dumbly.

"Yeah"

He wanted the wait to be over. He wanted everybody to be happy, and to return to Neru's side, to that single person who made him feel like a human being.

"You need a hug?" she asked. "'Cause, you know…it's not a crime" she smiled softly.

"…yeah" She gave him a short hug, which he returned weakly. But he had to admit…it did make him feel a bit better.

"You think the jurors will be done deciding soon?"

"Maybe, I don't know" he mumbled, standing straight again. He had to remember that the press was there…can't let them get any wrong ideas.

"I sure hope so…it's been what…7 minutes?"

"7 minutes too long" he sighed. "With every passing moment, Luka's chances of being released are reduced…"

"How are you so sure, that it's not the other way around?" she asked.

"Just a hunch…my uncle taught me these things…"

"Your uncle?"

"Yeah…"

Miki looked at him with the 'go on' face, but Len remained silent.

"Anything you want to add…?" she asked, encouraging him. He inhaled sharply, not failing to notice his sudden mood swing.

"He's dead to me"

"…ah"

Miki looked around awkwardly for a few seconds, before coughing embarrassingly.

"Could I meet your friends…?" she asked, shy. "I mean-"

"Sure" Len smiled, relaxing somewhat. Miki clapped excitedly, and followed the boy over to the others.

The group was introduced to Luka's cousin in a quiet, quasi-formal manner. Lily shook her hand before Miku practically pounced on the redhead.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" she asked, holding her relative's lover close. Miku just mumbled something, holding the person who was the closest thing she had to family. "Don't worry, it's gonna be ok"

Miku nodded, pulling away from the embrace. She then turned towards Luka, staring deep into her girlfriend's eyes. The pinkette stared back.

"Do you think she knows what's happening?" asked Kaito.

"She does…" answered the tealette. "She knows…on some level. I'm sure of it"

A silence fell upon them all, Miki standing close behind the teal idol. Miku watched as the cracks in Luka's mask grew larger…all she needed now was one last pull…

"She'll be alright, soon enough" said Miki positively. She turned towards Miku, smiling. "You saved her body before. I'm sure you can save her mind"

Miku smiled just a little.

"Yeah…" she sniffled. "I'll try"

Her heart nearly skipped a beat when Luka actually smiled back. Nobody else noticed.

I love you Luka. So much.

Just then a large mumble filled the room. The team turned around to see the jury walk out the room in an orderly manner, before taking their seats.

Miku's heart started pounding. Her breath grew short.

Suddenly reality had slapped her in the face.

This is what she's been waiting for. And now a this moment would decide it all...

Her mind practically froze, not being able to think. She could only watch. Listen. Endure.

"Has the jury decided?" asked the judge. The foreman stood.

"We have"

"And what is your decision?"

Miku couldn't bear it. She saw herself in the hospital, waiting for a pair of doors to open, waiting for an answer that would either kill her or save her. She remembered being so incredibly vulnerable to the situation, depending on what others did, or thought.

She turned back towards Luka.

A 'guilty' would convince the girl she was indeed a criminal.

The contrary would wake her up; make her realize that her play was futile…

Her heart was stopping. Miku almost couldn't breathe.

Two words were muttered, and time stopped.

Stunning silence filled Miku's entire being. Nobody spoke, and Miku couldn't think. And just like that, just like coming to the surface of a rough, stormy ocean, Miku realized.

Cheers were to be heard everywhere. People hugged, shook hands, smiled.

Miku could only stare dumbly as the guards let Luka out of her handcuffs.

Just seconds after, she was in Luka's arms.

Drowning in a sea of apologies, confusing and confused blabbering, Miku listened to Luka for only a second.

"Shut up" she muttered, tears filling in her eyes. She looked into Luka's gorgeous blue eyes. She was crying. "Luka…I love you too much to care about anything right now. So please….be quiet"

They hugged tightly, their hands disappearing in each other's hair as they grabbed whatever they could, to feel more of each other's presence. Their breath in the others ear, their tears on their shoulders, the warm pressure reassured them that they weren't lost, that they hadn't given up, that they still had hope.

So warm with emotion and love, so sad from the pain, too happy from simply being together, drunk from relief and high on passion, they pressed their cheeks together, holding the other close.

Luka felt that she didn't need to apologize, because she could feel that Miku had forgiven her. Only that would explain why she would be here…why she would still save her after everything.

For the first time, Luka felt truly forgiven for everything she had ever done.

"I want to kiss you" she whispered, out of breath.

Miku's reply was Luka's wish. As they locked lips, they locked themselves away from the world. What they had was restored, and nobody would ever be blind to it, especially the blogger, for this action was a true statement; you have already lost.

* * *

><p>"I think we all have a story to tell" mumbled Mr. Megurine, setting down the final cup of tea.<p>

The entire team was seated around their kitchen table, along with a few other tables and chairs added to comfortably seat everybody in their living room.

Everybody, with a few exceptions, was obviously relieved and exhausted. Luka's parents were clearly overjoyed more than anything else, and sat next to their daughter. Luka herself was drained, a bit confused, but relieved. While her mother and father sat at her right, she kept a constant contact with Miku, who was also tired beyond reason. The idol had new clothes on, and had let her hair down. Next to her were the twins, Gakupo, then Meiko and Kaito, followed by Gumi, Haku, Neru and finally Lily.

"And some explanations to deliver" mumbled Meiko, staring at Lily warily. "I thought for sure that the Judge would tell you to stay or something.

The blonde shrugged.

"After the trial, I asked him what I was supposed to do. He said 'screw it' and ordered some cops to make sure I didn't go anywhere or do anything suspicious. He seemed pretty pissed off"

Neru nodded.

"I followed everything on the radio with Haku. Chaos, I tell you. No wonder he didn't care anymore" she paused. "I wonder why no security was ordered to intervene…" she mumbled, not really asking.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air. Everybody was mainly looking at the two blondes sitting next to each other, one still on her phone. Haku seemed a little frustrated with her friend's behavior.

"Can you tell me now?" she mumbled, breaking the silence. Neru turned towards her, a questioning look on her face. This made Haku's face turn sour. "Neru, I know you've been keeping secrets! And I'm sure you're in on this whole…thing…with making Lily disappear"

Neru nodded.

"Alrighty then. It seems only fair for us to start with our side of the plan"

Lily sighed and slumped on the table.

"Fine"

Neru cleared her throat, and put her phone away.

"Now we all know why Lily here is our #1 suspect…" she inhaled deeply. "She left you, showed signs of lying, and has a motive. All perfect little clues indicating to a little criminal doing an inside job, isn't it?"

Everybody nodded.

"Well, we obviously had to make it believable, so we couldn't tell you guys. You see, an enemy's enemy is a friend. If you all started hating her, the blogger could, possibly, see an ally in Lily"

A collective gasp could be heard.

"You…you tried tracking him like that?" asked Rin. Neru nodded.

"Although we had a tiny clue of where to look thanks to your work, we still didn't know who, or where he was exactly. So we turned Lily into our enemy, and she camped up in a little house a bit away from here. Even though the blogger is evil, he's slightly predictable. He saw Lily's actions, and wanted to talk to her. So-"

"Wait!" interrupted Gumi. "Why…why exactly would he talk to Lily?"

Neru smiled.

"First off; he's obviously extremely wise with a computer and that knowledge and skill is gained with time. So, in consequence, he most likely doesn't know many people. He needs an ally, a powerful one. That tied in to the second reason; he knows we're all very capable, especially Luka and Miku. An ally was a necessity for additional inside information"

Gumi nodded.

"The blogger acted like we hoped, though not as we anticipated. First, he brought you all very far from here, to avoid interruption during the trial. But he saw that I wasn't as unrested about Lily's departure, and in consequence suspected Haku as well, so kept us here to keep us all divided"

"I see…" sighed Meiko.

"Right when you guys stepped in the car, the blogger made contact with Lily"

Wide eyes.

"You…talked to…him? Her?" mumbled Gakupo, incredulous.

Lily shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure it's a guy" she replied shortly.

"…and…?" asked Len.

Lily opened her mouth, and then closed it again.

"Well…I learned a lot. But I had to play quite the bad guy for him to believe me, to trust me…"

"We know that he's still in school, for one" started Neru. "He's also an amazing hacker, though he won't tell us his age or how he learned that stuff, or what he's using. But…"

"He's very spoiled. And very, very angry"

"Ouch" commented Meiko.

"What…what did we ever do?" asked Luka.

"We're not sure yet. In any case, he expected Luka to react the way she did. He wasn't after just Miku, after all. He hates both of you" replied Neru.

"Is he a homophobe?" asked Luka's father with gritted teeth, barely concealed.

"Actually, he isn't" answered Lily, still slumped over the table. "He actually arranged for another manager for me, after he learned that he hated me enough to kill me in my sleep just because I'm bi"

"Wow…" breathed Rin. "So…he isn't all bad?"

"Not at all. Spoiled and powerful doesn't really make you a bad person. He's simply pissed off, though"

"And possibly mentally unstable" added Neru. "Just slightly, otherwise he wouldn't attend a regular school"

"But…he's a very caring boy" Lily's fingers tapped the table. "He also has a crush in school, I believe. He was always talking about this one girl"

"Is that why you think he's a guy?" asked Kaito.

"Yeah. I mean, the gay population in this world is 0.3%. The chances that it's a girl are pretty low"

"But probable" mumbled Miku.

"True" answered Neru. "Now, before we forget our previous conversation… We traded information. Very little though, seeing as how careful he was. But he panicked when you guys escaped the hotel, and begged for Lily to intervene. Now beforehand, I had asked her to go for various reasons, so Lily was going anyways. But with the blogger's support, Lily was well on her way to the trial"

She paused.

"Miku…what's the most destabilizing sentiment you've ever felt?" she asked.

Miku blinked.

"…Treason" she croaked. Luka then hugged her tighter, knowing that she was forgiven but was regretful nonetheless.

"Indeed. Lily betrayed the blogger today in court. She was supposed to go against you all, and in the end, get both Miku and Luka in jail for hacking for the simple want of more popularity. But no. Lily helped you guys, and the blogger is probably still feeling fooled, and foolish. Now, this has two sides; a good one, which will only last for so long, and a bad one, which can last forever"

"Those are…?"

"On the bright side, he'll be less careful. Though, now he hates us all. Especially Lily"

"So..." Gumi hesitated, before stating. "You stuck out your neck for us…didn't you?"

Lily grinned.

"Yeah"

Mr. Megurine smiled grimly. He put a hand on Lily shoulder, before thanking her very, very sincerely without words.

"Mahogany…I didn't know…" mumbled Meiko.

"You weren't supposed to" answered Lily.

"Forgive me?" asked the brunette. Kaito's hand on her shoulder made her reconsider, though. "Forgive us?"

"Definitely" she answered, grinning widely. "Cause…I need to admit that pissing him off was kind of worth it"

"So who's next?" asked Neru. "We told our story; I think we deserve to know what happened with you guys, too"

Gumi shrank in her chair just slightly, but Meiko eagerly narrated their midnight adventure in the mazes of their hotel. Lily's eyes widened slightly when Rin interrupted to tell how they came to the conclusion that the oldest blonde was guilty of it all. But Neru was proud that their act had been so convincing. Len grumbled when Gakupo pompously told how he had saved the twin and himself from the guards.

Luka told of her stay in the cell very, very briefly. The first part, when she still wasn't sure what had happened, was described in sharper detail; the other women, the man that told her why she was there… But after that moment when Miku said it was her, she couldn't tell much more. It was blurry, she said. All she knew was that she had to be the criminal. It was only in court that everything became clear again, but everybody knew that story, and was proud to have assisted.

Haku had next to nothing to say other than feeling extremely left out of Neru's plans the entire time. She got a sincere apology even though she understood why she was kept out of it.

Miku, when her turn came, didn't know what to say.

"I…I'm not sure, what happened exactly" she looked at the center of the table surface, eyes glazing over just slightly. "I…I was in too much pain to die. But…I wanted to. I felt like giving up, finally. But it hurt too much. It kept me awake" she rested her head on Luka's shoulder, finding immediate comfort in the familiar warmth. "I…I ran back to the forest. I knew for sure that that place would kill me this time. I mean…you don't get two chances in places like those. And there…"

Miku blinked a few times, slowly. Breathing deeply, rubbing her temples, she tried to remember.

"I think…I think I passed out. Under a tree…"

"Then what?" asked Rin, after a few minutes of silence.

"I had a dream…yeah…I had a dream"

"What kind?" asked Lily, remembering what Miku had told her while waiting for the trial's outcome.

Miku blinked slowly.

"It…" she shook her head. "There…there was the bear! And…and she brought me to her nest…"

"And then?" Luka whispered in her ear. The tone was soothing, comforting. Miku relaxed noticeably, the creases disappearing from her features.

"I told her cubs a story" she said, calmly. "…what's it called, when you forgot everything?" she asked.

"Amnesia?" offered Len.

"Yeah, that. Well, I had that, the whole time. I didn't remember why I was there…but the story…" she sighed. "What's the contrary of amnesia?"

"Uhm…you have either Hypermnesia, where you remember something vividly, like a flashback. Or there's Hyperthymesia, which is pretty much remembering your entire life. But that's something you have all your life…not a flashback"

"Well…I had that last one, just for a moment"

"Where you dying?" asked Meiko, quietly.

"I already was…but no. I wasn't remembering it myself, per se…I was telling a story to the cubs. I was telling…my story"

"A story with all of us in it?" asked Rin.

"Yeah…and before 'us'. Way before. Things…I don't even remember"

"Do you remember now?" asked Luka's mother.

"No…I don't remember the story I told. But…"

"It was important" stated Lily.

"It was…the memories may be gone…but the feelings…aren't"

"So what do you feel?" asked Luka.

"I feel…" she sighed deeply. "I don't know. A bit of everything…the emotions of a life…"

"You don't have to remember" stated Luka, with a smile. "You don't have to let it haunt you. Because…" she didn't finish her sentence, but Miku smiled nonetheless.

"What I have now is more important. And if I have all this now thanks to that…well, then I'll leave it there"

Luka smiled back, tiredly. There were still rings under her eyes, and she hadn't washed in a long time, but to Miku, she was the most beautiful person she had ever seen.

Gakupo cleared his throat slightly.

"Well…that leaves me with one question" he said, a little awkward. "I feel like I missed a chapter; a big one at that. Uh…" he pointed to Gumi and Lily. "How…or when did you two get to know each other so well?"

Gumi's eyes widened, and started stuttering a bit, without actually making an effort to start a coherent sentence. But Lily grinned.

"That's…a long chapter. I think it deserves a story of its own, to be told another time"

Gumi nodded, visibly approving.

"So…anything we need to know?" asked Rin.

"Not that I know of. We're just friends…" Lily then eyed Gumi out of the corner of her eyes; that unfinished sentence only seemed to mean something to the younger girl, who seemed surprised. She blinked a few times, before smiling slightly and relaxing a little.

Nobody else seemed to notice the unfinished phrase. Happy with knowing what everybody had been up to, happy that this little moment of peace was real, they absorbed the harmony while it lasted.

* * *

><p>"Ok, how much time do we have?" asked Rin.<p>

"A few minutes at most" answered Lily.

Both were seated behind the computer connected to the PS3s. Rin was ready to track down the blogger no matter the cost, thanks to the laptop Lily had been using to contact the criminal.

She hooked the two computers together, and started scanning the conversations.

"You need me here?" asked Lily.

"No, I don't think so. I can work on this" she said, opening various programs and writing in some code.

"Careful…he may had some anti-spy stuff…if there's a virus-"

"I'll smack him down on the pavement. Don't worry, we got a master computer…" she looked up at Lily. "Really, this isn't the first time I used this. It's been a little while, but I can manage, and I learned a few things since"

The taller blonde nodded.

"Alright"

Rin then began typing like a madwoman, totally locking the other out of her mind in a split second.

Lily smiled, and got out of the room. In the hall she crossed Gakupo, who grinned.

"Just here to look over Rin as she works" he said.

"You know she probably won't even notice you"

"I know. But I'm happy to be there"

Lily chuckled.

"Right. Have fun!"

He nodded, and entered the room she had just left.

The blonde entered the main room, and felt like an explosion went off right in her face. The room was filled with hues of red, pink and white. People were embracing each other, handing out flowers and even a cake was being presented.

It didn't take long for Lily to understand that these were Luka's relatives. There was even that Miki girl from the trial, hanging out with Miku and Luka. Both were clearly happy to see the girl again, and vice-versa, in a much lighter setting.

Lily was quickly dragged in and introduced to many people she didn't know and probably wouldn't meet again very often. But she gladly shook their hands, and accepted their thanks. The woman doubted they even knew what she did anyways.

Lily then left the Megurine herd. She slowly made her way to the younger people who were in the living room, and quickly realized that she didn't have much to do there, either. Meiko and Kaito were snuggling, sharing his scarf, Len and Neru were enjoying a virtual-free conversation, while the remaining duo, Haku and Gumi were chatting awkwardly amidst the couples.

Lily sighed, and decided to go back to Rin. It was probable that neither Haku nor Gumi wanted to talk to her just yet…

"So what happens now?" asked Gakupo as she re-entered the room. Rin was royally ignoring them, typing furiously on the keyboard. Lily had seen the twin focused before, but never to this point. The height of her concentration probably evolved with practice…

But then the twin spoke, her voice monotonous, as if she were an automatic answering machine.

"I'm keeping a sharp eye on various things, while back-tracking his emails he had sent to you, Lily. I'm really paying close attention to your accounts and stuff; if he so much as sneaks up to them, I'll have him"

"I see…" answered the young man, slightly startled by her tone. "Need a drink?" he asked.

"Gladly" responded the twin robotically, not taking her eyes off the screen.

Lily stood behind her as Gakupo went to fetch something to drink. She watched the codes scroll down the screen again and again, as multiple windows crowded the monitor. Rin went so fast that Lily couldn't keep track as she clicked, scrolled, typed and who knows what else.

The woman sighed, and leaned against the wall.

Soon enough, Gakupo came back with a glass of water. He set it on the desk next to Rin, before leaning against the wall beside Lily.

The woman was extremely thoughtful, he noted.

"You ok?" he asked.

Lily shifted slightly, showing her discomfort.

"I'm not sure" she replied simply. He nodded in return.

"Things have been hectic for you…first you need to play traitor, then you actually TALK to the blogger…then you save our asses, while we treat you like a criminal…"

"Yeah…it wasn't easy" she admitted.

"…did you ever think of double-crossing us because of the way we treated you?" he asked, careful.

His bones started to chill as Lily took more and more time to reply.

"I…I'm not sure" she said. "I'm not a really loyal person, like you all are. If I had been acting alone, I would have called you all blind idiots and walked away from the job"

Gakupo swallowed, letting the sound of clicking keys fill the air.

"People are different" she stated in her defense. "You're all…amazing people. You stick together, you help one another…"

"You helped, too"

"Sure…the adventure is always fun, right?"

He didn't know what to say.

"Let me tell you this, Gakupo…people disappoint. And people are disappointing. And…you'll meet these people every once and a while"

He nodded.

"Do…do you still want to talk to me, hang out with me, after what I told you?" she asked.

It was his turn to switch feet, to try to find a soft spot in the solid wall.

He had to admit, though he had only seen her faithful, Lily seemed and admitted to being fickle. But was that still worth letting her go?

If there was one thing he had learned with all their adventures, was that you needed to stick close to those who helped you. And those who wanted you dead, those who hurt you, those weren't friends, or allies…those people needed to be cut out of your life.

Lily only hurt them for the plan. In fact, she only hurt them because they were convinced she hurt them. But no…she was helping.

This pushed him to ask one question.

"What made you stay?"

Lily grinned.

"Loyal or not…I don't exactly have many friends. And you're all amazing people. You're all keepers. You're all worth the pain… As I said before, if I had been acting alone…but I mean, alone, truly alone; not with Neru's support, and with your tears in my mind, I would have left. But I remembered the fun times we had together, and I never seriously thought about betraying you guys"

"Then again, you don't have many other friends…"

"Or family for that matter…"

Gakupo waited for a moment, for Lily to answer.

"But…that's not the case. At least, I don't think it was. It could just be me trying to convince myself I'm not a horrible person"

Gakupo smiled.

"You didn't really disappoint me in the end there, you know?"

"Then you should probably prepare for some" she chuckled lightly.

"Oh? What are you going to do, then, to disappoint me?"

Lily shrugged.

"Oh, I don't know. But remember…if it's not me, it could be somebody else"

"Right"

Lily was silent again, and Gakupo was smiling.

"Hey, what about Gumi in all this?" Rin asked, out of the blue.

Lily turned towards her.

"Uh, well…" she sighed. "It's complicated…I'm afraid she doesn't want to talk to me quite yet…"

"Believe me, she is probably dying to talk to you" answered Rin. "She was so shattered, thinking you might have been the one"

"She was, wasn't she?" Lily said, scratching her chin.

"Yeah. We were even wondering if maybe you two were in love or something"

Lily remained silent for a while after that.

"Love, huh?"

Gakupo blinked.

"Well, in any case you two are at least close friends. Just…talk to her, ok?"

Lily looked at him, clearly undecided. But she kicked herself off the wall anyways.

"Alright, I'll try" she opened the door, but Gakupo caught her before she left.

"Hey, Lily?"

"Hm?"

He inhaled, hesitant, before talking.

"If you feel you're a disappointing person in general…then that's ok, that's who you are. Only…" he put pressure on that word, keeping a firm eye contact with the woman. "…if it doesn't hurt you. If you don't like disappointing people, then reconsider, maybe. Just…think it through, alright? Because I think you're a wonderful person, just the kind of person you said we all are"

Lily smiled warmly at that.

"Thanks, Gakupo"

"We all have our bad side, alright? Nobody, I mean nobody, is all good. If someone is talented at everything they probably have a rotten mind or a serious complex, and vice-versa. Nobody can be perfect. And everybody disappoints at least once in their lifetime"

Lily nodded.

"I…I'll keep that in mind"

"You do that" he said, smiling. Lily then left the room, leaving Gakupo and Rin alone.

"You know, you didn't have to say they were in love or anything" he said, turning towards the twin.

"Hey, I'm super concentrated on following this criminal before the timer runs out of time. Don't expect me to focus on what I'm saying…" indeed, she sounded anywhere but in the room. Her mind and soul were put on the keyboard.

"Right"

"Hey Gakupo?"

"Hm?"

"I really want to kiss you right now"

The boy stared wide-eyed at the girl, who was still typing.

Did she even realize what she said…?

He smiled, and leaned forward, kissing the top of her head very lightly.

"I like you too, Rin"

* * *

><p>Miki, Luka and Miku were talking cheerfully, mostly about the former's vacation plans. The redhead was going to England soon, to see the English branch of her family. She was also overjoyed about that fact that both idols were ok, if not exhausted.<p>

The family hadn't planned much, not even dinner. The visit was totally unexpected, but a party was well written in the agenda. Most were looking forward to a nice restaurant, though the more observant members noticed that neither Miku nor Luka were in any kind of state to go out. Moreover, their friends were also there, and they were also too tired to join in whatever festivity.

So very soon the family planned a meeting the next day, sometime in the early afternoon. Then everybody but Luka, her parents and Miku left. After waving everyone goodbye till the next day, Miku and Luka both decided to go to bed after a small bite to eat.

Luka sat on the bed and sighed deeply. Miku sat next to her, clinging to her tightly.

"I missed you" she said against her shoulder. Luka hummed in return, telling her without words that she returned the sentiment. She didn't say sorry; she knew she didn't have to. The word didn't even burn her lips.

For the first time, she was content; deeply content, in Miku's arms. She didn't feel regretful, or undeserving of the young woman next to her. The only words she could think of saying were words of profound thanks.

Luka leaned into Miku's embrace, finding the particular kind of warmth she couldn't find anywhere else. She felt so incredibly, dearly loved.

"I want to tell you everything…" she whispered into the darkness. "I want you to know…how much it hurt, to see you cry. I want you to know, how desperately I wanted to see your smile again…"

She paused, feeling tears rise up.

"I want you to know, how much I wanted you to be happy"

She felt Miku flinch as she felt that guilty pang in her heart.

"I don't deserve you…!" whispered Miku.

Luka felt like crying.

"Why not?" she croaked. "Why wouldn't you?"

"You…you pretended to be something you were not… You wanted to become a whole other person just for me!"

"But it hurt you…"

"Back then, it didn't matter, did it? All you wanted was someone to blame for my sadness… So…so you took so much just for me…" Miku sniffled. "And what did I do?! I let you rot in prison to go kill myself…!"

Luka couldn't breathe around the ball in her throat. She twisted in Miku's embrace to hug her back.

"But you came back, didn't you…? You came back right away…"

"You nearly got imprisoned for life, Luka! And I didn't do squat back there! Everybody else did the work, didn't they? I'm telling you…I don't deserve you…"

Luka sighed.

"Miku…I want you to know…that until very recently, I didn't think I deserved you, either…"

Miku looked up at her, teary eyed. Neither could see much because of the lack of light, but through the darkness's glow they could still the other's face.

"I tortured you before, Miku. I hurt you; I insulted you, I… For a long time, I was only trouble, I felt. But…" she swallowed, trying to regain some breath. "But for you to come back to me, despite the pain I had dealt to you. For you to drag me away form a certain demise, while you could have just as well escaped on your own… it has shown me two things"

Miku didn't reply, but pressed her forehead to Luka's collarbone in response. Luka could feel her ragged breath through her shirt.

"First…well, I felt like I…" she chuckled, suddenly feeling silly. "I did, indeed, deserve you. Because you needed me, because to you, I'm someone special…for the first time, all those things you told me finally, finally sunk in. But then, I realized something very obvious"

"Hm?"

"Why do we constantly need to feel deserved? Why is there this constant need to fulfill the other's desires? Well…we don't want to part, for one. We don't want to break because of others, either. But is it really necessary?" she asked. When Miku didn't reply, Luka released the younger girl to take her face between her hands and look at her. "Is it?" she asked again. "I love you, Miku. I do, from the deepest depths of my heart. And I don't care why I do, and I don't care what others think of it. Because I know this feeling will never waver, that this attachment will never break, as long as you're happy with it" she hugged Miku again, feeling the smaller idol find the crook in her neck. "As long as you still want me, as long as you say you still love me, I don't care about anything else anymore. I don't care about 'deserving', because all I need is confirmation from you that I can stay right…here. Right here, next to you. Right here, in your arms"

Miku then burst into sobs, exclaiming apologies of various kinds. Each of her regrets led to the next until finally she was apologizing for not knowing what to say, for being silly, and to simply apologize.

Luka shushed her quickly, rubbing her back.

"I'm so sorry…" repeated Miku for the hundredth time. "I…"

Luka merely squeezed her tighter, burying her head in the smaller girl's shoulder.

"Don't apologize. Please…"

Miku then held her mouth, simply crying. Luka rocked her back and forth quietly like she would an infant.

For a few minutes, they sat on the bed in silence, Miku's sobs slowly but surely decreasing as she felt swayed in Luka's arms.

Gradually, the atmosphere sunk in. Luka already felt it; the deep content sentiment of simply being there with Miku. But for the tealette, it was gently being introduced to her. As she breathed, she smelled Luka's ever-present, familiar scent. As she moved, every parcel of her skin that touched Luka's only had a soothing message to send; the warm, gentle touch made her feel safe. She heard the pinkette's breath. And when she opened her eyes, she would see a cascade of pink, and her dearest's skin. The mix of familiarity, safety, and love made her feel what Luka already was; a profound, calm happiness.

Miku breathed deeply, letting it sink in further than just skin-deep.

Luka was right…it wasn't a matter of deserving. It was a matter of understanding, and communicating. She didn't need any other confirmation that she could stand next to Luka as her lover than the one from Luka herself. And nobody other than Luka could tell her if she could support her, stand by her; not even herself, even in her darkest moments.

"Luka…"

"Hm…?"

"I love you…so much more than I can say…"

"You don't have to say anything"

Miku hummed contently, pressing herself even more against her beloved. Luka did the same, trying to feel as much of the other's body as she possibly could.

The two lay down in the bed, fully clothed, and too tired to do anything other than sleep in the other's arms. Savoring the entire presence the other gave off with all five senses, they fell asleep feeling safe, warm, and totally, completely sane.

* * *

><p>"Gah, they're not answering!" exclaimed Rin, frustrated.<p>

"That's because everyone is in BED, Rin…" mumbled Gakupo.

"So?! We've all been waiting for the moment we pin down the EXACT location of the blogger! I mean…look! It's right here!" she pointed at the computer screen, which displayed a map with a little x in a very precise location. "We HAVE him! And nobody cares?!"

"We're too tired to care, right now…" replied the boy, struggling to sit up straight. Ever since they left the Megurine household and gone to his home, she'd being struggling to get to the blogger before he erased his footprints. It took her an hour and a half, and yet in that tiny timespan it seemed that everybody had turned in for the night, except for Gakupo, of course. He had helped Rin all the way, from bringing her an occasional drink to supporting her through every mini-breakdown she went through. "I mean…it's late. The trial took much too long, the way home even longer and we're all tired anyways…"

"Yeah, yeah..." grumbled Rin, dialing a phone number. "I wonder if Neru texts in her sleep, too…wouldn't surprise me…"

Gakupo snatched the phone from her grasp.

"She does NOT use her phone in her sleep, Rin! And even if she did, she wouldn't be conscious enough to reply coherently! Let's sleep, Rin. The blogger isn't old enough to go anywhere. Let's just…wait till tomorrow, ok?"

Rin grumbled again, knowing that he was right. Plus, it wasn't as if the blogger would see that she had found him, anyways. She was too proud to do such clumsy work.

So she sat in the bed, next to Gakupo. The boy seemed highly aware that they were both seated on his bed, but she couldn't seem to care less. He sighed awkwardly, realizing that Rin hadn't noticed. So he put his elbows in his legs, leaned forward and waited.

Rin continued grumbling; complaining about how such a big find could be ignored because of something as artless as sleep. Though suddenly she stopped, and turned towards Gakupo.

"Didn't you say something?"

Gakupo raised an eyebrow.

"No…"

"I don't mean just now…before. When we were still at the Megurine's"

Gakupo, realizing what she meant, tried to kill the upcoming blush.

"Wha…what do you-? I mean no, no, I didn't say anything, ever!"

Rin squinted.

"Sure you did! I know I become kinda spacy when I'm concentrated and stuff, but I remember because you did something, too"

Gakupo couldn't hold back.

"AH…euh, well…" he scratched his chin, quite shy all of a sudden. He cleared his throat. "Well…"

"Well…?" she repeated.

Gakupo made eye contact for a split second, before re-discovering his room all over again.

"Well…"

He remembered the last time he tried to declare how he felt…it didn't end well, he had to admit. In fact…

He shook his head, trying to chase it away. He was brave before…why couldn't he be now?

He sighed, trying to calm down. There was a fine line between bravery and recklessness. Last time he had felt invincible, and look at where that got him… Luckily, he now felt as if he had a second chance for a relationship; he shouldn't throw this one away, too. Not after all the time they had spent together…

"Rin…" he gulped, and looked at her. Better be frank, honest, and most of all…polite. "I…I really enjoyed helping you work… I…"

Rin blinked, waiting for him to continue. In the meantime, Gakupo was struggling to put his thoughts together.

Was it the right moment? Right then and there, in his room, so late and so tired?

He cleared his throat again.

"Rin…I really like being with you. I like listening to you, seeing you…yeah, simply being with you. Because…"

He took a deep breath.

"I like you, Rin…a lot"

The blonde blinked again, but otherwise didn't show a response.

Gakupo practically shattered inside.

"I…I thought you liked Luka" she mumbled. He released a breath he was holding; she wasn't crying and…she thought he still liked someone else…?

"No, no…not anymore…I mean, yeah, she's beautiful and all. But she's far off better without me. Besides, I can't offer the kind of love Miku can. I… like you in a different way than I ever liked Luka. It's…" he searched for words for a few seconds. "It's more…sincere" he declared. When he still didn't get a response, he continued. "Well, I don't expect an answer right now, so late…and it's fine if you don't like me, I get it…" he paused, feeling a bit bitter. But he cast the feeling over his shoulder, and focused on the present. "But know that every second with you has been, and is, for me, something great. And I'd love it if you would be my girlfriend, Rin, because I would love to be with you"

Rin blinked again. Seeing that he was waiting for her this time, she guffawed slightly.

"How…how could you have fallen for me instead of Luka?" she asked, incredulous. "I mean…" she patted her flat chest, making Gakupo go red in the face.

"It's not a question of that!" he exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders, making her stop. "Breasts aren't everything! At least for me. I love what you do, what you say. I love your eyes, your hair…I'm telling you; it's much, much more sincere than what I felt before"

Rin looked at him as if he was an alien.

"Really? You love flat little me?"

Gakupo smiled.

"Little bow and everything" he said.

Rin pounced on him, encasing the boy in a tight hug. Between breaths, Gakupo managed to ask if that was a yes or not.

"Yes~" Rin sang in his shoulder. "I wanna be your girlfriend, Gakupo~"

Gakupo smiled, and closed his eyes, returning the hug. She hummed, enjoying his arms around her; the feeling of his broad shoulders and the muscles under his skin.

"I'm happy you like me" she said. "I think I like you a lot, too~"

Gakupo couldn't believe it. Holding her, hearing her say that made him the happiest he'd been in a long time. He grabbed her tighter, and let his happy tears fall on her shoulder.

* * *

><p>Len woke up with a startle, covered in sweat. He gasped, grabbing his hair, touching his face, gripping his heart to see if it will slow down.<p>

It dawned upon him that it was all a dream.

He sighed, letting reality sink in. He was in his bedroom, and just down the hall were his sleeping parents. Rin was still working at Gakupo's home, and Neru was at hers.

He exhaled shakily.

He was alone, with a terrible nightmare.

With a trembling hand, he looked for Neru's number in his contacts on his phone. It wasn't hard to find, though Len was still staring at his screen minutes later.

He was afraid to bother her.

Wasn't she sleeping, enjoying a well-deserved rest? It was already two in the morning; surely everybody was totally out of it.

He put his phone down. Without the light from the screen, the darkness crept up on him. He could hear tiny whispers, awoken by the shadows, taunting him.

You're a monster.

You're a monster.

You'll kill them all.

Monster.

Killer.

Beast.

Assassin.

Brute.

Murderer.

Animal.

Cutthroat.

He shook his head, trying to chase them. Those were the same voices which he had heard after Miku and Luka fell from the cliff. These voices made him realize what he was by keeping him awake, by forcing him to think, by obliging him to see it from another point of view; an objective one.

He inhaled deeply.

I'm not the same.

I'm not the same.

I'm not the same.

I'm not the same.

He repeated it over and over, though it haunted him.

He started shaking.

Monster…wasn't he one?

He gulped. He needed Neru. He truly, desperately needed her. He needed to hear her voice.

Still trembling, he dialed her number.

No response.

She didn't answer five times.

He felt desperate, lost, and weak. Shriveling up, he tried to hide from the obscurity surrounding him outside and in.

He knew why the voices where back. But he didn't understand. Never before had he seen such a clear difference between the two.

Breathing deeply, trying not to hyperventilate, the twin sat in the darkness for what seemed to be ages. Listening to the whispers, he could only close his eyes and hope he was still dreaming.

"Neru…" he said to the darkness. "Neru…we're not going to hurt him…are we…?

We won't torture him…will we?

We won't make him suffer, like he did to us…right?

I won't help to hurt again…will I…?"

He started sobbing, hiding between his arms and knees, desperately attempting to conceal himself from his own past.

He felt so cold, under his blanket. He felt so alone, so close to his ignorant, sleeping parents. Shivering from either fear or freeze, he tried to find solace in the present. He wasn't going to hurt again… he had no greater wish.

Suddenly the cold melted away and the loneliness dispersed. Out of breath, he realized that Neru was there.

He started sobbing all over again, even more than before. Clinging to the girl that saved him, the girl he needed, the girl he loved and who loved him back, he tried to find his reason.

"It's ok, it's ok…" she whispered to him, combing his hair. He gripped her almost viciously, burying his head in her hair, trying to hide from his own mind. "It's ok…"

Very slowly, he calmed down in her arms. When he was merely breathing in a tight embrace, both had questions, and both expected the other to ask. Finally, he took a step forward, and asked why she was there.

"I was awoken after Rin texted me" she replied. "She texted me at least eight times…and then I saw you had tried to call, too. So…I rushed over"

Len thanked the sky above him; he had never been so grateful for her arrival.

"So what's wrong?" she asked softly.

"I…I…" he couldn't make words come past his throat. Hugging her tighter, feeling weak, helpless, all he could do was close his eyes from the pain inside. "I'm scared to hurt him" he finally muttered. The moment he spoke, he nearly collapsed. Declaring what was bottled up inside him truly made him feel better. And yet the fear remained; the blogger was terrible. Despite Lily's discoveries, he had tried to kill two people. But still, he didn't want to hurt him. He didn't want to see him get punished. Was Neru going to be mad at that? And if anybody else discovered it, would they?

But the girl smiled.

"I thought you would…"

He inhaled deeply, before releasing it slowly.

"Rin texted me to tell me that she found him"

"…I see" he replied, after a long silence. "And…what will we do?"

Neru pulled herself out of the hug just slightly.

"We'll find him, and talk to him. And if you don't want to come, you don't have to. And I promise you, the law will take care of him; Lily will be cleared, and he'll get what's coming to him. We…we won't hurt him"

Len nodded, leaning forward to rest on Neru's collarbone. She rested her chin on his head, stroking his hair.

"You have to let it go" she said. "You hurt Miku and Luka, but they're okay now. And you're their friend, and our friend too. They forgave you completely; we all did. And their current foe is even worse than you ever were. So relax…"

Len merely shook his head.

"I can't…I can't forget everybody's faces. I can't forget the voices…I can't forget what I've done…"

"Ah, the voices…?"

"Monster, cutthroat…"

"You're thinking that to yourself?"

"I thought that, before...they disappeared, but just now…"

Neru sighed, but held him closer.

"If you can't forget the pain, then that's all you'll have. If you can't forget the anger, then that's all you'll feel. So…try not to forget the smiles and happiness…you make me happy, you make Rin happy, and everybody is happy to see you, right? Isn't that important to you?"

Len clenched his jaw, sitting straight.

"Of course it is…!" he said, almost angry. "Why wouldn't it be? But just because it's important doesn't mean…doesn't mean that the pain sticks more…it just follows me…"

He looked into Neru's eyes, anger melting away to sadness, seeing that Neru was trying to understand.

"Neru…you're all very important to me…but…even though you've all forgiven, I can't forgive myself…"

Neru smiled at him, and took his hands.

"Then repeat after me"

He nodded, squeezing her hands tighter. The warm feeling went up his arms, into his chest, making him feel light.

"Len, I forgive you"

He paused, and looked at her questioningly. She merely nodded in encouragement, so he inhaled, and said "Len, I forgive you"

"Now say it again" she said.

"Len…I forgive you"

"Again"

He paused.

"I forgive you, Len…I forgive you"

"Again"

And he repeated the phrase over and over, until it sounded as if it had been stripped from its meaning. The words became hollow as their significance sunk in, impregnating his mind with a new sense of thought.

After almost an hour repeating the phrase, all the while holding Neru closer and closer still, he grew silent. He held on to his dear, who had found her favorite spot against his chest.

Len breathed in, feeling Neru move with him, her heart beat against his skin.

"Len, I forgive you" he said, finally feeling it to its fullest. As he finished the phrase, he leaned forward to kiss Neru on the forehead. "And Neru, I love you"

She smiled; he felt it.

"I love you too, Len…do you love yourself, as well?"

"I think I'm starting to"

"Good"

* * *

><p>Meiko blinked, trying to will away the morning sun. But the single ray of light that, for some reason, HAD to land straight in her eyes didn't go away, much to her dismay.<p>

Meiko grumbled, closing her eyes tighter, burying her head into the covers.

But then her head hit something.

Meiko blinked again, confused, in the darkness of the fabric. What had she hit…? If her instinct was worth anything, her bedroom wall was behind her, with some floor in between. And what she hit was…solid, but soft-ish at the same time.

Meiko raised her head above the covers, blinking from the sun. Then she saw it. Or rather him.

Kaito.

"GREAT GOOEY GOPHER BALLS!" she screamed, throwing herself backwards. With a thud she landed on the floor next to her bed.

Kaito jumped awake from the scream, stuttering nonsense. He looked around, and saw Meiko yelling random things on the floor.

He tilted his head, confused.

"It's only natural, I guess" he heard Meiko mumble in a panicked manner on the floor. He scratched his cheek, still not understanding. "I mean, humans are designed to 'let go' of stress…"

Kaito's eyes flew wide open, realizing what Meiko meant. He laughed, and grabbed her shoulders gently.

"Don't worry, Meiko! We still have our clothes on!"

The brunette blinked rapidly, her eyes going up and down both their figures. Indeed, both were fully clothed, in fact, still wearing their diurnal clothes from the previous day.

She let out a breath.

"Ah…"

He smiled.

"Remember? You decided to walk me home, telling me you were the man in the relationship so it was your duty, and the moment we got here you wouldn't let me go and fell straight asleep on my bed"

"…and you didn't go somewhere else?"

He gave her a cheeky smile.

"You wouldn't let me go"

She blushed, before batting his hands away.

"Of course not; a little sissy like you could get killed so easily…"

He chuckled.

"I love you too, Meiko" and he kissed her cheek.

She grumbled something incoherent, but leaned into the kiss anyways.

"So I'm assuming you're not ready for that, eh?" he asked softly, smiling but sincere. Then she grinned playfully.

"Only if I'm on top"

He laughed loudly.

"Of course, of course" he said in a joking manner. "Come on, I'll make you breakfast"

"Good girl, go make me a sandwich!" she said, punching his arm. He grinned at the way-too-old joke.

"Go make it yourself, woman!"

She smiled frankly, taking hold of his arm.

"Bah, let's cook together~"

"Sounds good to me" he said, holding her tighter.

They headed downstairs; his parents were gone already, and had been gone for a while. Ever since the trial they've been gone somewhere 'safe' from the media. Kaito couldn't blame them; it was chaos. Besides, they were probably on their way back.

As he went to get some eggs, she fished her cell phone out of her jacket pocket.

"Dang, it's only eight…"

"I guess you slept well" he said, turning the stove on. She hummed happily, returning next to him in kitchen. Then her eyes went wide.

"By the potato angels! I have 15 messages from Rin and 5 missed calls!"

"Really?" he leaned over her shoulder, looking at the device. "I wonder what kind of contract she has with her service provider, because if that were me, I would NOT like to see the check…"

"Yeah…I wonder who else got this many messages…" at that statement, Kaito started looking for his phone as well.

"I got 12 messages and 3 calls…ouch"

While he was checking, Meiko had opened some of her messages.

"Hm, most of them are complaints about me not checking my messages"

"Same… And the first one is telling me to tell you to check your messages"

Meiko then scrolled down the list, and opened the first.

"By all the Swedish honey pots…she found him"

"What?"

"She found him! She found the blogger!" Meiko cheered. "Thanks to Neru and Lily's plan they finally got a hold of him!"

Kaito laughed, hugging her tightly in his joy.

"We finally got him!" he said, overjoyed. "We'll stop him from hurting anyone now…he'll be too infamous to try anything anymore!"

Meiko merely returned the gesture instead of replying verbally.

"Well, this calls for a bigger breakfast than eggs" he said.

"What, I hope you're kidding. Eggs are the best kind of morning ever!" she exclaimed. He then looked at her with a smug grin.

"Eggs and sake?"

"…you know me too well"

* * *

><p>Miku's waking thoughts were so terribly crystal clear that she wondered if she had slept at all. And yet, the sun was shining through the window, indicating that a new day had indeed started.<p>

The tealette sighed contentedly, remembering the previous evening. She sunk into Luka's embrace, feeling the warmth and welcoming comfort. The girl relished in everything around her; the soft covers on her legs, the comfy mattress supporting her, and the warm body which surrounded her left her basking in a realm of ease. Wishing she could stay there forever and fall asleep once more, she closed her eyes.

"Girls, wake up!"

Utter disappointment.

Miku held back a groan, remembering that they were indeed not in her own apartment, but at the Megurine residence. And Luka's mother didn't like it if the girls remained in bed past 9…apparently, no matter what.

"Can't she cut us some slack…?" she heard Luka groan. The taller idol, instead of sitting up and pushing Miku awake like she usually would, merely tightened her embrace around her beloved and buried herself in the pillows. "We…did so much yesterday…"

Miku smiled.

"How are you feeling?"

"Massive headache" Luka replied. "Everything that happened to us has NOT been healthy"

"Hmm…I agree. But I am feeling very, very hungry" said Miku. Yet she didn't do anything to extract herself from Luka's arms.

Luka's mother called out to them again, making Luka groan once more.

"Wanna sleep…" she whined.

Miku shared her desire to drift off, but her hunger was stronger. Nudging the pinkette in the arm, she sat up, suddenly feeling cold.

"Hey, I'm only going downstairs if you're coming with me!" she exclaimed.

Luka mumbled something incoherent, keeping her eyes closed, and wrapping herself up in the sheets. Miku shook her head, scooted closer to her beloved, and slowly combed her hair with her fingers.

Both were exhausted, she knew that. But who had gone through the most? Miku went back to the forest, which was both a physical challenge, and a mental attack. But Luka was in a cold cell, thinking like another person. Either one sounded terrible, and had lasted days.

Miku shivered at the mere memory. Her warmth was washed away simply by thinking of the nightmares, and her comfort was thrown out the window when she remembered that there was one part she couldn't recall.

She shook her head, trying to forget it all. Forget the pain, the amnesia, the loneliness. Combing Luka's hair, she immersed herself in the present.

"Luka, we need to go downstairs" she whispered.

"I know…" she merely sighed in response.

Miku smiled kindly at her, feeling her fatigue. She leaned back against the headboard, letting Luka cuddle into her thigh as if it was a pillow. Suddenly, a tiny light caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

Miku blinked, looking at Luka's nightstand. Her phone's 'breathing' light was softly going on and off again, signaling there was a message.

"Sorry, Luka" she muttered and she leaned over the pinkette to grab the phone. The taller idol groaned, and hugged the tealette's legs tighter. With a huff, Miku sat back down, now with a koala-Luka wrapped around her legs so she wouldn't move.

Miku looked at Luka's phone. The fatigue was blasted out of her mind, seeing almost 30 missed calls and messages from Rin.

Miku only needed to open one to see that all messages were the same.

"Luka…!" she said, shaking the leg against which Luka had pressed her cheek. "Luka!"

The pinkette caught wind of the panic in Miku's voice.

"Wha…what is it?" she asked, sitting up straight. Hair in a mess, clothes disheveled…her face was surprisingly awake compared to the rest of her.

"They…they found him…" Miku said, shaking again.

Luka took the phone, and sat next to Miku against the headboard. She flipped through the messages, all identical.

We got him!

What's the plan?

-Rin

Luka inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"We have him" she said, softly. The moment she uttered those words, Miku shriveled up against her side.

Luka put down her phone, and wrapped her arms around the tealette.

"It's ok…"

Miku was struck to the core with fear.

"Will…will we…have to see him…?" she asked quietly.

Luka shook her head.

"You don't have to. You really, really don't have to…"

Miku wanted to hide from the world. Feeling both anger and utter fear, she felt like a tiger who wanted to kill the poacher.

They found out where he was…they knew how to find him…and now…what?

"What do we do now?"

Luka breathed deeply.

"The wise course of action would be to alert the authorities…"

Miku nodded. She knew that Luka also felt fear towards the blogger, but the anger was hard to see through. She could feel that the pinkette wanted to go give the guy a lesson, just like she had done with her previous manager. Except this time, she wasn't glued to a wheelchair…she had everything; her legs, her tuna, and her rage.

"But you want to see him beforehand, right…?"

"Definitely" Luka said, without hesitation.

"Luka… We can't hurt him"

She felt the pinkette sag a bit.

"I know…"

"We'll discuss this in group, then" declared Miku. Luka nodded, agreeing. Both still shaking a bit, one from fear and another from barely contained rage, they got up.

"We'll talk about it today. And then, we'll decide what to do, and do it"

* * *

><p>Alright, then!<p>

This has been the latest chapter for Sneering Eyes! After almost…or over, I can't remember, a year of updating, I am VERY GLAD to announce that the block is over!

Because of the delay, I had a ton of time to think about all the blunders I had made and DANG…the biggest reason for which I was so lazy with starting this was because I didn't want to try to clean up the mess! Lack of character development, things like that…so GakuxRin and all feels sudden to me because of that lack. :(

But I wrote this within a week…in that week, we had to put our dog to sleep (R.I.P, Minnie), so I think I can say I did a good job…

Ok, yes, there will be more chapters. - One or two. The thing is I can't exactly tell, because I never thought that the trial would take this long, or the aftermath! But there needs to be aftermath. So I you're a bit sour at the inactivity in this chapter, well then too bad; I know I need more character development in these kinds of parts (coughcoughforestarccough) so I'm doing it.

Next chapter they'll get the guy. And then…dunno. Epilogue. *throws stars around*

I just want to explain the whole Lily and Gumi thing; no, they are NOT an official pairing in this! I'm crazy for that couple, but as it's not wildly known, I'm not making it canon here. You can decide what's up. I personally think they're VERY IN LOVE (hehehe), but it can also be a deep friendship. You decide. :) And to explain all the weird parts in the middle (with Haku, notably, that one scene), I've decided to make a separate fic which depicts what happens with them, as their not on stage the whole time (like in this chapter) for those who like, or will like the pairing.

As for future updates…yes, the block is gone. And…tomorrow, from the day I'm writing this, I start the Swiss equivalent of High school (10th grade). So I hope that this new EVERYTHING (aaaah, strangers) won't totally freak me out of myself. I promise to keep this run alive, though, and keep the block away!

So, I hope this hasn't been a festering pile of garbage, and that this has been entertaining to read ;), and I really, really hope you enjoyed!

Thank you to Jak656 for Beta Reading! (-^O^)-

_~~I seem to have forgotten this, but yōgisha is a Japanese honorific for a suspected criminal, like Luka was~~_

**_Also, this story is…TWO YEARS OLD~!_**

**REPLIES~**

**Maroon Cross: **Yeah, I'm sorry for the cliffhangers…I find them entertaining to write though, so expect more…in other stories because this one seems to be, indeed, coming to a close. I do have a nice ending planned for this though, so stay tuned!

**Iluvian Melody:** It would seem that the only reason for which I have come this far is because I know what I'm writing…more or less. Even if the grammar, spelling and others aren't perfect, and far from it, I hope I can show the reader what the feeling behind it is, because I've felt these feelings, and that makes it all the more true. I've grown on this pain, because rather than rotting in a hole with it I decided to do something and make myself happy from the suffering others gave me. So instead of seeing through Miku's eyes, my version of Miku has seen through mine, and if I'm a talented writer enough, you would have, too. :) That's what's important to me in a story, and I'll stand by that.

**Guest:** Thank you for reviewing, guest! I appreciate anonymous reviews in a particular way~  
>So it would seem that you got your certainty from this chapter, then! So don't worry about Lily.<br>I'm glad you liked the chapter so much! I'll keep trying, as much for Miku and Luka but also for Lily and Gumi (though not as a pairing in this story. ^_^)

**Faystay:** Here's the update! Next is coming soon~  
>Thank you very, very much. :')<p>

**DonutYukiro:** …is that a reference to a certain dead terrorist?  
>Ah, sorry for the terribly long update. :( I'm glad to announce that updates will be more frequent from now on, though.<br>I'll keep going like this! If you like the craziness I'll keep it up.  
>Agh, I know that rule! It seems that I simply forgot it, oopsies. Entshuldigung. ^_^<p>

**StattStatt:** I'm sorry for the late update! I hope you had sooner forgotten about this rather than actually killed someone. D: But thank you so much for the support! It means a lot to me. :)

**rm928:** thank you very much! I'm glad you think my actual writing is worth something. *-*

**OrangeTsundere:** Did it affect you that much? Wow, I'm both flattered and sorry. But I'm glad it's better now; enjoy the music!

**FeeptheNinja:** Yes, all good thingies here, and now ALL thingies are good! Lily is indeed too awesome to do something so bad~  
>…65%? Seriously? That's a lot. o.o (Portal 2~)<p>

**Shy Light Akemi:** I hope you were just as happy checking your mail this time, too! It's a good thing, matching it up with music; I personally can't write without the proper sound.  
>Lily, yeah…It was all a lie, wasn't it. ^^'<br>I don't mind any reviews, soon or late, anon or not. I'm glad you made an account in the end; welcome to FanFiction! :)

**Mokozou:** An end (happy or not~?) is indeed nearing~ I hope you stick around until then!

**Silceress:** I'm honored you think so! More updates are indeed on their way~

**purplemoonff:** Yeah, I agree it is indeed quite confusing. I tried to straighten it all out in this chapter, though. I hope I didn't make Luka totally sane too suddenly, either. It's difficult, the writing of insanity. :/  
>And the trial was indeed sloppy. But I didn't want it to be too accurate, because I wanted Lily be to released, too, as you could have read up there.<br>I LOVE the criticism! Flames are rude, but this was pure information, which has been totally helpful. Plus, you were polite about it, so thank you very much.  
>And thank you also for sticking around for so long, and I hope you're still around when this is up!<p>

**RandomGirl2k5:** Those phones still have a lot to catch up on to become hand-fitting laptops; I agree they are sometimes…a bit annoying. That makes an extra review (aah, cheating on the review count) but I don't mind too much. ^^' More updates to come, too! I love long chapters and long stories, I just hope I don't overkill.  
>The insane are fun (though painfully difficult) to write; I'm glad you enjoyed!<br>Ah, not friends; that was a dream, I'm afraid…but I guess that was cleared in this chapter, too. Befriending bears is just quite over the line for me, so…sorry. :/ But YES, Luka would NEVER do that to Miku! Though it was only a dream, it was a useful one. ;)

**Guest:** May you have reviewed or not, it is always welcome. I appreciate you leaving feedback, may it be soon or late.  
>I'm honored you are warming up to this pairing because of my story! I truly am. :)<br>It's been another year, and yes, only a few more chapters until it is done, happy(?) ending and all. I'm glad you loved everything to the point of it restoring hope, most of all~

**Konetsu:** I'm afraid you'll have to wait ONE more chapter for the question of Piko, or not Piko, to be answered.  
>I agree that the GumiLily pairing was very, very suddenly introduced. I actually have a backstory for them, but I shouldn't have made it so terribly sudden. So they are not an official pairing in this, it's up to you. :)  
>Ah, yes! You are absolutely right! I must keep an eye out for that; thank you very much for pointing that out.<br>I am really glad you like my story that much. :')

**Yuuki yami:** It seems to have left you speechless, yet you still wanted to review, so thank you.

**Kimikokatsumi:** And I updated…again! Sorry for the long wait. :/ But the whole Lily thing was a liiieee~ but Altair DID see a lot of it, didn't he?  
>Thank you so much for all the love~ (-^-^)-<p>

**Chinesis' Fan:** I'm glad you loved it~ :D  
>it really only was a few days, but I also kind of lost track. But right now they're 2-3 weeks into the summer vacation, if I'm right. …what kind of author doesn't keep track of the timeline…?!<p>

**Zoop Top: **I'm glad you like my chapters so much~ :D  
>and I'm afraid that YES…still waiting for the blogger. But that's 100% sure to be next chapter!<br>Previews are becoming harder and harder to make because I don't want them to fit badly. . And I can't exactly see the future…:/

**Paru Café:** I believe that I have already replied to this priceless review. Again, I love it, it's so extremely motivating. It's inspiration-gas, motivation-fuel…so all I can say is thank you very, very much. :D

**Randomperson:** Oh dear, I hope you didn't forget about it by now. :( But I'm glad you enjoyed it so far. :)

**MaMiRu X MiZu105:** I'm glad you enjoyed! And those cliffhangers are going to be over soon, don't worry~ ;)

**Eadin:** I love replying to every single review; I don't ever want to leave my readers without knowing that I love any kind of feedback or support they can provide. And that also means that those without an account can not, by any means, be singled out. :)  
>No, not the final chapter just yet. Another one or two to come as well.<br>I have not experienced all that, per se, but I know the feeling too well. I just try to put it to paper. :)  
>As I said before; anything is welcome! May it be bad or good, what you thought throughout my story is very dear to me.<br>Thank you very much for all the wonderful words~

**Asphell's Advocate:** Thank you very much~ Insanity is fun, if not an enormous challenge to write. I'm glad I depicted it well. :)

**M'lisss:** I'm glad you love this chapter, despite all the errors you find! Most of the time they annoy me…pet peeves, they are. And yet I can't produce a flawless chapter, as you have seen. And yes, some sentences are difficult (I was re-reading a chapter, and realized there was one spot where I erased only part of a sentence…ouch. That made a very, very confusing passage) to understand, so sorry about that.  
>I would love to read them! I see that they're already up by now; I'll read them when I get the chance!<p>

**AngryCornPeople:** Agh, I know…poor Miki, Miku, Gumi…it's a wreck, now that I look back. ._. I hope I elaborated well enough here. If you find any loose ends please to tell; they're so hard to keep track of.  
>Ah, yes…the famous 'objection'…I'm so forgetful. Thanks for telling me this. :D<p>

**Evil4Corn:** I sense a corn army *looks up*. It's alright; you can't be late for anything compared to me updating speed… Though I agree that school can be bothersome.  
>Those two lines were spoken by the first person directly mentioned in this chapter (aka, Miku).<p>

**Meislovely:** Aah, I hope you still love Lily! She's too awesome for hate. :  
>and…srry for the late update…again. T-T'<p>

**Guest (Eugene):** Sorry for the lateness! I hope you enjoyed. :)

**AnokanoK:** You saw that contradictory hint, didn't you? Good job. ;) But yeah, Lily had good reasons do betray their friendship. Good thing she's not too much of a disappointing character, it seems.  
>Thank you for the feedback! I and constantly keeping that in mind; I hope the dialogue is clearer now.<p>

**Soi Fon1:** thank you very much! I'm sorry for the lateness, though.

**Kryuu27:** Sorry, but it only got updated now. :(

**Code03x5:** I'm glad you loved it that much!  
>Interesting song…and an interesting duo. Not sure if it's my favorite, but it's definitely not amongst the ranks of other…'famous' artists. They deserve more.<br>I hope all questions were answered here! If you still have any, just ask. I know there are loose ends, and I insist on tying them all.  
>I hope this chapter was worth the wait, I really do. ;_;<p>

**Angelia arcangel:** I hope the wait wasn't too long, and I hope you enjoyed~ :)

**Meh Gusta:** Still Piko…you seem very convinced. O.o Bets, too? Well…I can't exactly bet, because I'm sure to win. X'D

**Alchemya:** I'm glad you enjoy my story despite all the frustration. Your English is perfectly understandable, don't worry! ^_^  
>I'm sorry it took so long, then. :(<p>

**Halios Mililios:** Sorry I couldn't do that…

**Rargle-Fargle:** I agree they are cute together. Remember that they are not, by any way, disqualified in this story. So if you think I shattered that, I didn't want to…  
>I'm glad you enjoy!<p>

**Red:** I'm terribly flattered; thank you so very much for that amazing review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the rest of the story!

**Yurifans21:** Indeed, this is quite a complicated story; it's very difficult to keep track of all the elements. The end is upcoming, and hopefully very soon.  
>Thanks for the review~ ^_^<p>

**Mysterio:** Sorry for the delay. :/ I hope you haven't forgotten and enjoyed!

**Guest: **Sorry for making you wait for so long. I hope you enjoyed nonetheless.

**Kikichu96: **I'm glad you like my story! Sorry for the wait.

**Guest: **Here's MOAR!

**CVX-01: **I'm the late one! Reviews are appreciated whenever, but the updates…better soon.  
>I'm glad you enjoy my story as much, even if you don't like Vocaloid that much anymore. I hope you found another fascinating thing to amaze you. :)<br>Lily is an amazing Vocaloid, I agree…and if you read this chapter, then YAY~ :D

**Nexus Infinity:** Here it is~

**Truna:** Nuu, me no kill Lily. O.Q But the blogger must pay~ Sorry for the wait.

**TheRealPandaa:** Sorry. :' Like me for updating? …please?

**Faystay:** Terribly sorry for the long wait. I hope this update makes up for it.

**Blodh Skolir:** I agree, that the continuation felt a bit apart. But yeah…I tried, and now I'll try more, now that I have gained some experience. :) Thanks for the support!

**Eadin:** Thanks for the support! My way of getting it done is…well, but sitting my butt down and actually doing it. - I had to admit to myself that I was just making up excuses…just get the job done, that's my trick. X'D

**Damned:** Thank you very much for all the reviews and support! I'm also glad that you warmed up to LukaxMiku, and that you even decided to check this out in the first place. :D  
>I hope you keep up animating; the loss of material and other can be ruining (a flood? That sounds terrible…), but you have to keep your head high; the finished product will make you proud. :D<br>Again, thank you very much for all the terrific support, and I hope you can regain your creative inspiration someday! :D

**Sgtranglin:** I'm glad you like my story! ^_^ I hope you liked this chapter a bit more than the other parts you didn't like as much. :)

**Trew:** I'm working on it! I said I would never give this up, and I'll be damned if I do. I'm glad you like my story though. :)

**Happyface:** :D All very nice theories! Too bad only one is right... w the others could have been very interesting to write, though…

**PlasmaLancer:** Why thank you!

**Dummy Perception: **I had to add this after uploading the chapter, as I haven't seen your review beforehand. - I hope you don't mind.  
>Yeah, the second part may seem disjointed, and I still feel half-half-ish about adding all that. Also, sorry for...euh...prevent important boyfriend time. (Seriously, go spend time with him. My story isn't nearly close to the worth of a relationship. ._.).<br>YAY a fellow bear lover! Keep in mind that the whole scene was a dream, though. but yeah, she needs cameos (at first I wanted to have Miku barge into the Trial scene riding on the bear's back but wtf too much X'D).  
>And you understood that it was Miku's life! I don't think anybody before said they did. But yeah, Miku's beginnings are quiet relevant. :3<br>And Lucky you; I didn't read your review until after I uploaded chapter 17! Your wait was the shortest. ;D  
>I'm glad you like my stories so much! ^_^ Thanks for all the support!<p>

Although I feel like I apologized to everybody already, let me just say sorry again, for the long wait. As I write this now, it's been one week after the beginning of this author's note (what? Review replies take a long time XD). I have already started the next chapter, so expect it soon (damn, I honestly hope).

Till the next time!


	18. Back to the Real World

**So, an update. Once again, a year late.**

**I had my first year of high school these past 365 days. Amazing. Did a ton of writing, met a ton of people, being lots more motivated and stuff. Except for this story. Did I literally outgrow this. But I said I wouldn't abandon this, and I didn't. In fact, this is the LAST CHAPTER. An epilogue is on its way. **

**I agree with many reviews that it's a shame to end an epic so close to the end. And, other authors, y u no update?! Please follow my lead and END IT. It feels great, trust me. :D**

**As this is the last chapter, and I don't want to write an A/N after or before the epilogue, there will be another A/N at the bottom of this chapter concerning various thingies. :3**

**And now, I shall reply to you for the last time~**

**sgtranglin:** It's been a long time again and again. ;-; I'm glad you like it despite everything, though. :)

**Katadenza: ***MORE tears of joy* Never going to abandon! I made a promise, and I kept it! :D

**rundownSabEr:** Tis good to be back. :) And yes, tis TIME.

**StattStatt:** YAY happiness! I hope this chapter brought you more happiness, as it's been even longer since an update... And I hope this will also be worth the wait. ^^' And hopefully the hacker character is what you expected? A douchebag conform to his actions, worthy of the hate? XD  
>Many, many thanks for your continuous support! C:<p>

**whatgoesupgoesdown:** IT IS AN ACTUAL UPDATE! So you're not seeing things. :P I'm flattered you think it's the best ever. :3 *returns huggles* See end author note about future Fanfictions. ;)

**faystay:** You're most welcome. :3 I hope this update made you happy as well. c:

**Angelia arcangel:** Many thanks for all of your kinds words. ^-^

**omg:** I'll never abandon such a project! I've said it over and over and I'll say it again: the day I REALLY leave something unfinished is because I would have DIED and I wouldn't have told anyone the end. ;-; So, I'm not dead, and this is the END~ *cheers*

**Omega Collaborative:** I'm sorry for the long wait. v-v But I hope this update was up to par. :3

**AlphonseAl:** Blocks are very annoying. :( I hope you like this long-awaited chapter, though. :) And many thanks!  
>Second review: *looks at traffic stats* Dang, I see what you mean. : Sorry for the everlasting wait.

**Maroon Cross:** Make the blogger a girl? Haha, that would have been interesting and silly... But here you have him (or her?)~! Yeah, all things come to an end. :/ Can't help that. And I can't help that I actually love that this project of finally over. X'D And look at the A/N at the end concerning future projects. :3  
>Damn, the seniors actually threw eggs? Luckily that never happened here, and my first year went by smoothly. :3<p>

Aha, this chapter answers all your blogger-related questions! :D I hope you 'like' him! :3

**guest g:** The answer to your question would be both yes and no. Yes, writing long chapters of this length takes a long time. I mean, the longer a chapter is, the more time it'll take. Not to mention the re-reading and stuff. And no, they shouldn't take THIS long. 365+ days for 20k words is overkill and purely my fault.

**Shy Light Akemi:** Yay~ :D I hope this chapter also made you happy~ c:

**Is That A:** Ohoho, I'll let you in on a little secret because you asked~ Originally, that WAS the plan. The culprit was supposed to be paired up with Miki...but that ship sank when it just couldn't fit in anymore. So that's a shame. :/ But good instincts, you have there! :D Here's another chapter as your reward!

**The Reality DumPer:** Haha, imagine I actually went through with the whole bear thing. Geez. X'D

Aww...a cold hearted advice would be 'new boyfriend' but it's up to you. ^^  
>Despite you thinking it's obvious, it wasn't, apparently. Many people thought that the whole dream sequence was actually happening. 0.o' How could I make it more obvious? And...dreams do weeiirddd things. We all had a dream to which we woke up and thought 'wtf brain? why?!'.<p>

Dang, you are good at seeing these things. The symbolism was supposed to be subtle but you saw right through it. :| Well congrats on that! :D

You were very lucky at first, but here you had to wait just as long as everybody else for the new update. :c Sorry about that...

**Dakimomoe:** Oops, fainting wasn't the plan. X'D Hang in there, this update lasted even longer than the last.  
>Yay~ I created a negitoro shipper! *evil laugh* Negitoro will rule all~<br>Ooh, wonderful! Welcome back to Sneering Eyes, Damned-now-Dakimomoe~ . May the Negitoro be with you. :3 btw, I hope your animating is doing better. :)

**Nexus Infinity:** Sorry, but this fic is reaching the end... But more awesomness will be provided! See A/N at the end for details. :3

**IBreatheYuri:** Best. Username. Ever.

Also, thanks. :3

**CVX-01:** sorry it was later, instead of sooner. :/

Vocaloid is really something, isn't it... In any case, I'm glad you won't forget it. :3 And yeah, writer's block is something dreadful.

Glad you liked it! I agree that the entire trial part is...eh. I tried, and thanks for the feedback; I'll keep it in mind for future reference. :3 As for the culprit~...you'll see here below. :D

Eesh, I think it's too late to add IA. ;-; Maybe in a future fic? :3

**M'lisss:** I'm sorrryyyy...I happened to get used to freaky long chapters. ;-;  
>Aha, maybe you're right about him, maybe you're wrong~ You'll read this chapter and find out, I guess. :3<p>

I shall overcome writer's block again and again if I have to. It sucks but it isn't invincible. c:

You have a nice day, too! :D  
>Ohoho, we have readers. o.o' I guess that will encourage us to reply more often. :D<p>

**Guest:** WOA SO MUCH EXCITEMENT WELL you'll find out for sure in here chapter. :3

**ScarletXKnightwalker:** I will gladly do so if I'll find the time. :3 I already have it all planned out. If you like the pairing it'll be wonderful. w and many thanks! :D

**Un-orange-inql:** Updated!  
>I totally see what you mean; it's been brought up a few times, and I'm making efforts to improve. :)<br>I'm glad you like my story despite that! :D

You are VERY convinced it's Piko...you shall see~ mwahahaa

Actually I DID have a back-up plan in case I died. *shock* because life is unpredictable like that. So yes, updates would have always happened. :3

**Acturus:** Updated! And yes, it's been a long time, sorry. And...up to you to judge if the blogger paid. :)

**Shinobukun:** Wow, you read it all in two days?! That's impressive. o.o' And I'm glad you liked it! :D I'm also glad it's the end...they'll finally get to rest. (in peace? Maybe? Mwahaha).

**GooBall:** Glad you like it! :D Now we'll see if it really does backfire~

**OMG:** You flatter me, thanks. :) And here's the long-awaited update. c:

**Unicorns-After-Rainbows:** Here's the update! Thank you for your kind words. C:

**Elgrim Desmone:** I replied to your review in a PM. ^^ In any case, many thanks for the offer. :)

**Valkyrie-EvaMia:** This last chapter took way too long, I agree. I had actually written half before I finished the rest over the span of an entire year. :/But forget, I did NOT. The ending is here, and I hope you'll enjoy. :)

**And now, the long-awaited update!**

* * *

><p>"Cheers!"<p>

Everybody laughed joyously, clinking their glasses together. Luka and Miku smiled warmly, seated next to each other at the big table.

It was the lunch the day after Luka's release, and most of the Megurine family had reunited at one of the city's most expensive restaurants, to celebrate. While pricy, the idols appreciated the somehow homey atmosphere the big place gave off, despite the shining silverware, seemingly crystal glasses and golden chandeliers.

The family laughed merrily, simply being happy all together. The members had mostly hues of red and white (and all the pinks in between), but there were some who had obviously married into the pink clan.

Miku looked around, terribly curious and very nervous. Still exhausted, she only came to this party because she felt somewhat obliged to. But as she sat at the table, one thought crossed her mind; weren't these people now her family as well?

After all, she was Luka's girlfriend. These people had very important roles in her life… Miku felt the need to impress them, so that they would accept her into their circle. But it was particularly nerve-wracking, as Miku was acutely aware of the fact that Luka and she were the only non-straight couple present. This, coupled with the recent events, made her feel extremely self-conscious and highly wary.

She felt a prod on her shoulder, and looked over to see Luka, smiling. The taller idol was obviously extremely tired, but was visibly enjoying herself.

"You OK?" she asked, knowing that Miku had little to no expertise with family.

Miku smiled awkwardly, scratching her head.

"Yeah, I guess…I'm a bit nervous, that's all…"

Luka nodded, reading in between the lines, and then leaned towards her, pointing towards the head of the table, to their right.

"So, those are my parents. You know them well by now"

Miku nodded, admiring them. He was as clean-cut as possible; shaven, his silver combed hair was more an admirable trait than a sign of aging. She was just as beautiful as he was handsome, and just like him, she had made herself shine that day; her hair was supple and bounced freely, while her eyes glimmered in joy. The wrinkles on their faces were, if pronounced by their laughter, hidden by their happiness.

"To my mom's right are her brother, Lui, and her sister Veronica. Her husband is Victor Yabuki." Luka continued.

Lui was seemingly a decade younger than Luka's mother. Apparently in the prime of his life, his cream-colored hair was shabby in an organized way. He was also clean shaven, and wore something which could only be described as something between a casual suit and a fancy shirt.

Veronica had very dark hair, almost black. But here and there were the slightest reflection of a blood red. Her makeup matched her dress; in a more oriental fashion with warm colors, and her shirt was decorated with sakura flowers.

Miku wouldn't have guessed that Victor was an external addition to the family, as his hair was the palest of pinks. Like Gakupo, he had very fine features, with an imposing build balancing out graceful movements. Miku wondered if he also had a passion for samurais, or had a katana at home. Miku gulped, realizing that Gakupo would have made a great newcomer to this family. Would they all welcome her, if they knew he was a candidate…?

The importance of gender weighed down on her, but she buried it, remembering that Luka was all who mattered.

"Over there is Cul," said Luka, going down the table. "She's my dad's sister"

The woman was very stoic and had a royal aura around her. She was all about angles in her makeup, hairstyle and dress. Like her eyes, her hair was a bright scarlet red. To enhance that even more, she wore discrete jewelry of a very fine taste.

"Her husband died years ago…I never knew him" said Luka.

Miku nodded, holding back an 'oh'. Cul didn't seem to still be suffering from his departure, but the aura she gave off was mismatched with her brother's easy nature.

Miku wondered.

"There, at the other head of the table, is my grandma Miriam", indicated Luka. "Granddad died too…but I remember him well. He was really cool"

Miriam looked a lot like Luka's father and Cul at the same time. Cul probably had taken from Miriam's smooth hair and sharp eyes, while he had her easy smile and posture. The elder's hair was totally white by now, though she seemed that she could be 20 years younger than she probably was.

"Next to her is Akiko, Cul's daughter"

Akiko had a bubble-gum pink hair, tied into a tight bun. She was behaving royally, and Miku couldn't help but feel impressed and slightly intimidated. Despite her attitude, her clothes were relaxed and fun; brightly colored and loose.

"Then there's Yukari, Victor's and Veronica's daughter"

The girl had purple hair, unlike her parents. She seemed to be the opposite of Akiko; while the latter had a royal attitude, Yukari's clothes were relaxed and as casual as could be. And while Akiko had fun clothes, Yukari seemed to be falling asleep somewhat.

"And finally, you have Miki, whom you already know" Finished Luka.

Miku smiled at Miki, who was grinning brightly at the world around her. She wore semi-formal clothing, but her attitude was as happy as Miku had ever seen her. Her ahoge was still standing proud on top of her head.

Miku blinked.

"Who are her parents?"

"Oh, she's Yukari's sister"

"Ah"

Miku looked again, and thought that the two girls where polar opposites. Miki was dancing in her seat while Yukari was daydreaming of something much more interesting than the current events.

"Don't worry, they're all really nice" assured Luka.

Miku looked up at her.

"Are you sure? I mean…"

Luka smiled, interrupting her.

"I'm sure"

Miku sighed, comforted but not totally.

So far the adults had been talking with ease, while the younger ones struggled to make conversation. Miku wondered if it was because they didn't see each other often, or maybe it was because of her. After all, none brought a boyfriend or anything. Plus, Luka had just been released out of prison, and one couldn't forget that-

"So, Luka is dating the famous Hatsune Miku, eh?" asked Lui, pointing at the duo.

Ah yes…they had kissed in open public, in front of the entire press and thus the entire world.

Well. As if it wasn't obvious enough. Then again, despite their kiss during their performance of Magnet during the concert, it never was official to the world.

Miku didn't regret her actions, though. Even now, thinking back, she realized that she wouldn't have made it another minute without feeling Luka against her. But now she had a family to meet, and not as a dear friend, but as a potential newcomer to the family.

Luka laughed a bit sheepishly, and Miku realized that all eyes were on them, even Yukari's.

Miku rediscovered stage fright.

"Isn't it wonderful~?" crooned Miki, hugging the tealette.

"Careful…you'll get lesbo-cooties if you hug them" mumbled Yukari, returning to the leaning position she had in her chair.

The monster had jumped up from under the bed. Miku froze, feeling herself go cold. Miki and others were quite outraged, and instead of freezing up, lashed out with fire.

"Yukari…" Veronica eyed her daughter. "There is no such thing as 'cooties' of that kind. Remember your age", she said. Miku had the slight feeling that this wasn't the first time they had to tell her that, and eased somewhat.

Miki leaned towards the two idols.

"Some girl at school suddenly started hitting on her, and stalking her aggressively. Yukari took it the wrong way…now she insists on the fact that 'your kind' are all evil" she looked a bit sad as she said this.

Miku blinked.

Apparently the rest of the family was aware of this, and were expecting such an outburst. They all remained calm and collected, but Veronica and Victor seemed cross. Yukari seemed bitter though, feeling corned, outnumbered, and thus contested.

"What? Luka turns into an idol, hangs out with Miku, and POOF, she's a lesbo! It ain't rocket science, people!" she said angrily, but still having that sleepy element in her voice.

Miku's eyes widened at that, but Luka only chuckled, albeit darkly.

"Yukari, one does not 'become' a different sexuality. I should know"

The purple haired girl grumbled, and mumbled something incoherent.

"Yukari, either you behave, or go back to the hotel" said her father. The girl got up, and left, clearly preferring to leave than stay with them.

Miku suddenly felt quite saddened. This was the first time, excluding Gakupo, that someone had personally shown hate to her for being herself.

She wondered how Lily felt, and a weight settled in her stomach.

"Sorry…" sighed Veronica, looking quite apologetic. "She's been like this for a while"

"Yeah" mumbled Miki. "But I don't think she's mad because you two are totally happy with each other. I think it's something else…" she mumbled, still hugging Miku from the side. "Jealousy, for one. She wasn't there when I met you two for the first time. Plus you guys are really famous, and she doesn't get good grad-"

"Miki…" the girl grew quiet at her father's voice.

"Sorry" she mumbled again.

"It's fine," said Luka, seemingly unmoved. "She is surely the first of many. But I hope she'll understand some day…"

"I hope so too" said her father. "She's a charming girl"

"Oh, she's a very sweet creature," said Miriam, her voice surprisingly strong, though smooth. "But she has her quirks"

"Who doesn't?" said Miku. She felt the need to input something in this conversation. "It's impossible to please everyone… someone's quirk is always someone else's pet peeve"

"I couldn't have said it better myself" said Cul, before sipping some whine. "But one could also be quiet about their disapproval. No need to spread hatred" her eyes glossed over for just a second when she added that love was so much better.

"Some can't help it. And it's not our place to judge, either" added Luka. "She can say whatever she wants. But I'm not going to hurt her back, may she be aware of it or not"

Miki then decided to sit straight, letting Miku free. The tealette smiled at the redhead, thanking her silently for the support.

"In any case, we all welcome you to our family" said Lui, winking as he held his glass up in a friendly gesture.

"Especially because you saved our dear Luka more than once" said Miriam in a very appreciative tone. She also seized her glass, holding it up.

"And that you made Luka smile more than I've ever seen her smile" added Akiko, breaking her silence. She took her glass, also wine.

"And for helping us stay strong in moments of doubt" added Victor and Veronica.

Cul took her glass before speaking.

"And, let us not forget, for making this family a bit less of a solid pole of bland straightness. I swear, heterosexuality is so boring sometimes" she smiled, a kind of smile you treasure because of how sincere it is.

"Thank you, and welcome!" cheered Luka's parents.

They all raised their glasses with a shout of approval.

Miku felt tears in her eyes. Luka wrapped her arm around her beloved, while Miki just hugged her again. The tealette couldn't be happier.

She had a family…a big, welcoming, loving family.

Still being embraced by Miki, she turned and hugged Luka really tight, unashamed of her happy tears.

Everything was really going to be OK.

* * *

><p>"So what's the plan?!" cheered Rin. A map was splayed out on the table in front of her, in a silly, comedic kind of fashion. Not to mention, there was a big red 'x' on the paper, with scribbles like 'grr' and 'bad guy' and 'bleh bleh' written next to it.<p>

"The plan?" asked Lily. "Beats me. Seriously, I did my part of the job"

"As did I" said Neru, doing something on her phone. Len was looking over her shoulder, finding what she was doing particularly interesting.

"Uhm...don't Miku and Luka get to decide or something?" asked Gumi.

"Yeah…I mean they're the victims," mumbled Gakupo.

"Exactly what I was going to say," said Neru.

"Well, that kind of doesn't work, because they're out on a date!" grumbled Rin.

"Oh, they are?" asked Meiko.

"Yeah. An hour ago they were with the family, but they decided to go to another place for a date" answered Kaito.

Meiko blinked.

"Is this their first date?"

"I think so"

"Guys…not the point!" interrupted Rin.

"I think you're particularly energetic today," said Len. Rin merely giggled in response, her grumpiness melting away for a second.

"So where did they go?" asked Meiko.

"I have no idea," replied Kaito.

"They texted that they were 'going somewhere'…nothing specific" was Gakupo's contribution.

"Same" sighed Gumi, checking her phone. "Must be really special"

"Well, if it really is, then we'll wait till they're done," declared Lily, sitting on the couch.

"Better make ourselves comfortable!" said Len. "They might be gone for a while"

"They have a ton of catching up to do, I'd bet," said Meiko, also sitting down.

Rin agreed with a shrug, and looked through their toy box.

"So who's up for some monopoly?"

* * *

><p>Miku and Luka sat on a bench, in the shade of a tree. Before them spread out a mass of people of all kinds. Children, teenagers, adults and elderly were all mixed in the crowd. Many held treats like cotton candy, or prizes, or tickets. Looming over the crowds were the grand attractions covered in flashing lights and emitting loud noises and sounds. A Ferris wheel rose up in the distance, behind a small roller coaster, some swinging ship and countless wheels with spokes and twisting and turning devices.<p>

Miku sighed, leaning her head against Luka's shoulder as they admired the amusement park.

"Remember, that?" Luka pointed in the distance. "That's the ghost train we tried"

"And there's the fortune teller who said a bunch of ambiguous stuff"

Luka laughed.

"There we did apple bobbing!"

Miku smiled.

"I never was good at that," she said. Luka laughed, remembering.

"But you had painted hair! You had to be so careful…" she reassured. Miku shrugged, smiling.

"It was fun though"

"Yeah…"

Luka tightened her grip around Miku's shoulders. The tealette gazed into the crowd, feeling warm and happy. Closing her eyes, she let the breeze push her against Luka.

"Hey…" Luka said, before adjusting her position somewhat. "Remember?"

Miku opened her eyes, to see a small object dangling in front of her.

She saw a small blue butterfly, spinning in the light breeze, hanging from the little chord.

Miku blinked, and wanted to sit up straight, but Luka held her down softly.

"Look closer"

Miku blinked again. Finally recognizing the butterfly, she smiled. But before she could grab her own phone one which her own pink butterfly was attached, she saw it.

Right behind the butterfly in front of her face, back in the distance, she saw between the spins the first attraction she had ever played in the amusement park; the place where she had won the butterflies in the first place.

She smiled fondly. She grabbed the butterfly that was hanging in front of her, stopping its spins. When she released it, it merely swayed from side to side.

"I love you Luka," she said, sitting up against her beloved's frame.

"I love you too, Miku" the pinkette replied, turning her head to look at Miku straight in the eyes.

There was so much fondness in their eyes.

Luka leaned down just slightly, and kissed Miku on the cheek. The tealette giggled quietly, finding the public kiss somehow thrilling, liberating. It was a reminder that only they choose what they could do in their lives and with whom they could spend it. And even though she remembered hating public displays of affection, she supposed that one kiss, under a tree, slightly aside the rest of the world, couldn't possibly hurt.

So she turned her head and kissed Luka very gently. The taste was everything she knew, the touch was all she felt.

When she pulled back a few seconds later, she looked into Luka's eyes again.

So much love.

Miku then curled up under Luka's arm, finding her favorite spot in the crook of the pinkette's neck. She brought her legs up on the bench, and figured that she could fall asleep for a moment, safe under Luka's arms, in a place where memories were made and happiness reigned.

* * *

><p>It wasn't too much later when the two idols had reunited with the others at the twin's house. They had been in a very entrancing game of monopoly; nobody was losing. In fact, it wouldn't have surprised the two if they all lost at the same time. All had enormous debts and all risked losing all their cash in a single move, yet it never happened. So when the duo joined the circle, they felt the atmosphere was tense and incredibly competitive.<p>

Kaito eyed Neru, who held the dice. The blonde was palming the dice thoughtfully, knowing that this single throw could decide her fate.

She needed a 5 to keep going free. Every single other possible move in that area would make her lose all her cash to Kaito, Gumi, or Rin.

"Come on~" mumbled Rin, thumbing the few papers of ten she still had.

Neru remained stoic, not even shaking. When she finally threw the dice, though, Kaito grinned.

"Pay up" was all he had to say.

Neru pouted, and handed over the little cash she had. Everything she had was gone to him as well, to pay for his stupid little hotel. Kaito merely grinned, realizing he now possessed half of the board.

He looked at Len, sitting straight, acting smug. The blonde boy took the dice, and contrarily to his girlfriend, he was shaking.

After that, the whole game fell apart. Neru was like the bottom of a card castle and everybody took the fall after her. Haku happened to be the last to go, and was in consequence victorious. The gray haired woman smiled, saying little with words but a lot with posture.

"Sure, sit like a queen," said Meiko, putting the little hotels back in the box. "It's only a game"

"You were pretty into it" Haku answered. They were, and that made her victory taste so much sweeter.

"That was probably the most interesting monopoly game I've ever seen" said Luka, quite calmly. "And I only saw half of it"

"You have no idea…" mumbled Neru, sorting the 'money'.

"So…" Rin stretched, before asking the real question. "What do we do now?"

The meaning immediately sunk in, Miku and Luka remembering that they knew who and where the hacker is.

"Well…" Miku gulped. "I guess we alert the authorities"

"Because you are obviously pressing charges," said Lily.

Neither Miku nor Luka answered for a moment.

"Well…"

"We should" Luka finished. "But lots of other people will, too"

"Crypton, the radio, various bill boarding companies, some insane fans who take things personally…" mumbled Neru, loud enough for everybody to hear.

Luka and Miku remained silent.

"I think…" the pinkette gulped. "I think I'd like to talk to him"

"What?" Miku was stunned. "You do…?"

Luka thought for another while.

"Yeah, I do"

But she didn't say anything after that. Miku nodded, understanding.

Maybe she was merely curious. Maybe she wanted to ask him how he did it. Maybe she wanted to ask him why he did it. Maybe she wanted to look in his eyes, and see the soul of the man who nearly ruined her life.

"If you guys are going to meet the devil I sure ain't letting you go alone" stated Meiko as she got to her feet. "You'd have to gather an army of vicious pandas to keep me from going with you"

Kaito smiled, and got up as well.

"I'll drive" he took his cars keys from his pocket. "Anybody else coming?"

A jarring silence met him. While most, such as the twins, Gumi and Haku, simply felt that their presence would be unnecessary, Neru and Lily felt that they had done their part. And even if Lily wanted to join, which she secretly did, she couldn't leave the city as long as she was a suspect.

"Alright then"

"I recommend you get Miki to show you the way," Neru said, before the four could leave. "She knows the city: she lives there. Also, you would probably want to tell your parents where you are going"

Miku thanked the blonde for the advice, and the quartet headed out, leaving the remainder of the group in a grim state of mind, alone, surrounding an empty, forgotten monopoly game.

"So, Kaito..." Meiko mumbled as she got in the car passenger seat. "...when where you going to tell me that you got a car of all things?!"

"It's a nice car," Miku added in awe. "It even has that new car smell"

"I bought it"

"With what money?" interrogated the brunette.

Kaito raised a brow.

"We're celebrities, Meiko... Remember?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I'd expect a clay-head like you to spend so much money on such a great car"

"Well, I'm happy I got it" he said, starting the vehicle. The engine hummed as it came to life.

"I didn't even know you had a license"

"I got it recently. A lot of things have happened recently. This is one of them," Kaito stated, carefully making his way onto the road.

After a while, Meiko only had one thing to say.

"You drive like a wet chicken"

"The chicken will survive the longest," he said proudly.

* * *

><p>The four of them quickly got to the Megurine household. The entire clan was still there, even Yukari, who seemed to actually be enjoying herself with the other teens.<p>

When the couple entered, Luka leading, her parents immediately rushed over, noting their grim expressions.

The pinkette briefly explained where they were going and for what, eventually capturing everybody's attention. When she finished, she turned towards Victor and Veronica, telling them that they were heading towards the city where they lived. They nodded, but they didn't want to return home just yet. Miki offered to help in any way she could before they could ask.

Others asked if they needed anything, but most offers were declined, except for some lunches.

When they returned to the car, they saw Meiko on her phone, telling her parents where she was going and why. Kaito eyed her with an amused expression as she spoke . When she finally hung up, and everybody was in the car, he called her a hypocrite.

"Why?!" she all but shouted.

"Only a girl like you would spend so much money on such a great phone," he answered with a grin, again starting the car. She laughed in return.

After greeting Miki, they were on their way.

* * *

><p>"This is a highway," said Meiko.<p>

"I know" Kaito answered.

"You know what that means?"

"It can mean many things"

"It means you can go fast. Really fast"

"It also means it's dangerous. Really dangerous"

"Chicken"

"Dead meat"

As the couple in the front seats argued about the purpose of a highway combined with a sports car, Miki was busy counting the cars which doubled them, and the remaining duo where very, very deep in thought.

The coping, both stars thought, was hard. The immediate relief after the freedom and return to normalcy was great, though it was only immediate and was wearing off fast. The reality was weighing down on them harder and harder. While Miku was actively admiring their surroundings, she was also very busy thinking, digesting almost. Luka could only hold onto her hand as a lifeline and stare ahead.

They were going to meet someone who truly hated them. Not an angry fan, or a stalker, but a person who went against the law to publicly humiliate, to crush, to transform… to destroy.

Luka shivered. The previous nights were restful but she feared that her nightmares were going to catch up to her right then, in broad daylight. She wondered if going to see this boy was a good idea, despite taking the initiative in this project.

Miku wondered the exact same thing. Why not simply call the cops, and finish it? Close the matter with a lock and iron bars?

Somehow they both felt it better to approach the person, the human, beforehand, for one good reason: the answers.

Why? How?

As humans they feared what they didn't know, and they didn't know the motive. They didn't know if they could fix it. They didn't know how, and they didn't know how much he could do. Could he do more? Would he?

And resolving this later didn't please them. Talking to someone who hated them was one thing…but doing so with bars between them? Via messenger? They already saw what he could do just like that…but after caging him and interrogating him? They preferred to favor him as much as they could to avoid more vengeance.

They knew that in front of this threat they had grown incredibly weak. It would take time to fix everything, and this meeting was probably the best way to start.

Sometime in the late afternoon, Kaito took the exit for Miki's hometown. Miku didn't know what to expect from this city. This was the home of a torturer, an apparently sick kid, an upset soul. And yet what she saw didn't reflect that at all.

It reflected Miki, rather. She was born and raised here, and Miku found out that her happiness comes from a happy place: the streets where lively and colorful, people smiled and greeted each other. It was much, much quieter than where she lived, despite being right next to a highway. Bus stops weren't as crowded and metro stops didn't look like modern sardine cans. It was the kind of city which had trees along the roads not because it was a necessity but because why not, the kind of city which had a park for kids every two blocks, the kind of city where people didn't have to tolerate, they happily coexisted.

She wondered how such a tortured mind had come from this place.

Miki was all too eager to point out some of her favorite spots. Sometimes she even saw schoolmates, and said their names quickly while pointing and waving.

Kaito and Meiko found her happiness immensely contagious, and were smiling as well. But the two idols in the back however, were immune.

Miku felt she needed to stay strong. Luka felt sick.

Meiko told Miki the address they were seeking, and the redhead didn't fail to guide them there. Thirty minutes after entering the city they stopped in front of a large house.

"Here?" the brunette asked, hesitant. "Kinda hoping we're wrong. Makes sense to have pissed off a rich goat though, not anybody could have done what he did…"

"Wasn't he a kid or something?" asked Kaito as he got out of the car.

"Fine, a rich daddy's boy, what's the difference?"

The two idols in the back of the car had no idea what to think. They remained still as Miki hopped out of the car as well.

Kaito looked at them, and hesitated. He exchanged glances with his girlfriend before getting back in the driver's seat and turning towards them.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked softly.

Miku had made her mind during the trip. She couldn't be any more ready than she was then. Luka, though, was another matter altogether.

"I'm not sure," the tealette answered after a while.

"You want someone else with us?" asked the young man. "A police officer?"

Luka didn't have to think a long time before nodding. She needed a safety shield between her and the Blogger. A shield with a gun, and the right to shoot if necessary.

Kaito nodded, exited the vehicle, and made the call.

The remaining duo sat for another moment.

"Why is it so difficult, Miku?"

"Nothing has been easy lately…"

"But why is it so hard now…?"

"Because before we had to do what we did. Think about it, Luka…we're here because we want to be" Miku sighed, trying to be strong. "It's not often that we're in such an easy position...we weren't asked, forced or compelled to be here. We chose to come. And..." she trailed off. "...it's not easy"

The pinkette nodded.

"Such is the burden of freedom. We are responsible for the consequences of our choices..." she said softly.

Miku smiled.

"When you put it like that...it makes this all look a lot better"

"Oh?"

"Yeah" Miku sat straighter, turning to fully face Luka. "We chose to come here! We chose to arrive to his doorstep after everything he did! I don't know about you Luka...but it makes me feel powerful"

Luka wasn't as sure but she knew what she meant. It felt daring, and sounded like 'you didn't scare us in the least, now show your face'. The thing was that she wasn't sure she could carry the message as well as Miku could. While the tealette was broken by humiliation and the pinkette's 'insanity', Luka was broken by manipulation. She felt like the Hacker knew exactly how she thought. And she knew that the Hacker knew he was more powerful. After all, he broke them, or almost.

And yet... Here they were.

"Do you feel the same...?" Miku asked carefully.

Luka smiled. "Yes"

The tealette cheered and jumped out of the vehicle. Luka followed in a more composed manner, smiling too.

About thirty seconds later a police car halted in front of the house. A tall man in uniform stepped out with a big grin plastered on his stubble-ridden face. His dark eyes glimmered brightly as he recognized who stood before him, and made his way towards the group in long, even strides.

"Hello there" he bowed slightly for the celebrities. "My name is Arata, and it's an honor to be able to help you"

"Thank you, Arata" Kaito greeted in return. "We just need somebody to help out here-"

"Not a problem, not a problem. Though this doesn't fit in the usual call, I'm glad to be able to assist in any way possible"

"Relax, blue. We just need someone to walk with us in this big fat house" said Meiko.

"Of course"

"Thank you for coming for such a trivial affair" Miku said, greeting him. She tried to make this a light task, if only to take the weight from them.

"It's fine, my daughter is a big fan, I'll do anything" he replied with a smile.

The whole group stood in front of the massive house. Decorative pillars framed the front door and a large balcony on the third floor cast a shadow on the doorstep. Warm colored flowers lined the walls which where a pristine, almost blinding white. Despite this the front lawn seemed slightly unkempt. Some of the flowers hung dead, and the grass wasn't cut. Some windows bore ugly smears and the shutters creaked slightly, without reason to.

It was an imperfect giant; an antique version of something greater that used to be.

"This place sticks out like a sore thumb," mumbled Kaito, and he was right. This piece of older western architecture didn't fit in in any way. It was bright, indiscreet, and too flawed to pass by without any kind of negative thought.

"Oh it's been here for as long as I can remember," said Miki. "But the owners passed away and the grandson moved in"

"Aha. I guess he forgot to also give the necessary money to maintain this place in his heritage," said Arata.

Miki merely shrugged.

"So you don't know who lives here?" asked Miku.

"Oh, I might know the person who lives here, but I don't know who lives here"

"Right" the brunette then went straight for the doorbell, Arata standing close behind.

Despite themselves, Luka and Miku shied away from the door. With every passing second spent waiting for it to open, the world constricted around them. Hiding behind their friends and standing closer to the officer, they still felt like the balcony might collapse on them or that the overgrown grass might make a grab for their ankles.

"Hello...can I assist you?"

An older gentleman had greeted the group. Standing straight, a small pair of glasses was perched on his nose. His salt-and-pepper hair was perfectly cut, as were his clothes. Shoes, cuff links and belt buckle were polished, his button up shirt was properly tucked in and he had a perfectly polite, calm aura. If only he weren't the man of his house: he also had flaws which stuck out glaringly. Eyebrows weren't plucked or combed and fell in his (marvelously green) eyes, his nails were dirty and broken. Despite this, like his house, he stuck out from the norm and seemed absolutely proper.

"Euh...hi" Meiko looked at the address written on the paper in her hand. "Is this even the right house...?"

The man leaned forward and glanced at the address.

"Yes, that is here. Are you looking for someone?"

"Yeah!" Miki chirped, enthusiastic. "Actually, they're looking for someone!"

She turned towards the couple, who were still somewhat frozen. Miku bowed slightly, but before she could say anything the older man's face grew grim.

"Ah, I see" he stepped back inside the house, glancing back to the interior. His left thumb nervously ran over the fingers of his left hand as his right hand went to the handle, as if to close the door on them. But he froze, still fiddling with his fingers.

They remained like that for a few moments, until he turned to face them fully again.

"Please come in"

A quick, cork-dry invitation. The tension was built within seconds. The man's gaze lingered on the tall officer, who followed the young women into the stranger's house.

The interior was just like the rest. Bright, decorated, fancy, yet flawed. The carpets frayed at the edges, but the chandeliers shone like diamond.

The girls were led through a grand foyer into a small sitting room.

"Please, take a seat", said the man, presenting them the sophisticated furniture. The celebrities were more at ease with taking a seat but Miki showed more reluctance, while the law enforcer remained standing. "My wife will be with you shortly" was their host's last words before he left.

An awkward silence hung over them as a big marble clock ticked.

"So..." said Meiko.

"That was totally awkward!" exclaimed Miki. "Oh-Em-gee it was like he was kind of expecting us!"

"He did know exactly who we are..." said Miku, sitting upright on the large velvet couch. "But he didn't behave like I would have expected the Blogger to"

"If that guy is the Blogger I'm totally out of here. I can already imagine him just barging in here with his ax saying 'Haha, my wife is in the basement, time to meet her!'" Meiko imitated his voice but added an insane ring to it, as she made an ax-swinging gesture.

They all shared a short laugh, but the ticking was stronger and a somber, sober ambiance returned all too quickly.

"So...a wife?" The brunette tried again. "...a son, maybe? He is in school, Neru and Lily where pretty sure of that"

"Oh, maybe I know him from school. Everyone who lives in this area goes to my school. I live not too far away, so..."

"Who knows..." Miku was very busy looking around. "He's rich though"

Meiko scoffed.

"That shouldn't matter. If Rin was right, there's a scumbag here"

The ticking silence returned.

"I wonder how old he is," mumbled Luka, breaking her silence. "The Blogger, I mean"

"Who knows, he might just be some kind of-"

The opening door cut off Meiko's reply. They turned to see a rather tall, thin woman enter the room. Unlike her surroundings, she seemed flawless, at least on the outside. Every minor detail in her appearance had been perfected and polished. It was almost awkward though, as she wore a stunning set of clothes which seemed to be much too warm in the summer heat.

"Hello, Megurine-San, Hatsune-San, Sakine-San, Shion-San..." she trailed off, eying the unknown redhead.

"Oh, just call me Miki!" she greeted.

"Very well...Miki-San" the lady spoke slowly, as if she were testing the words but didn't like them already. She didn't greet the officer.

"May we ask for your name?" he inquired.

"Utatane Kimiko" she said, now speaking quickly and sharply. "I do believe I understand the reason of your visit. Unless I'm mistaken, you are here to find the source of your recent..." she paused "Troubles"

Meiko visibly held back a scoff.

"So I was right" the woman spoke as if it were a rehearsed speech. "Let me tell you right now that you are at the right place"

"But it's not you" the brunette stated.

"Heavens no. I wouldn't ever. If anything, this entire story is immensely upsetting for my husband, Iwao, and I. We are both great fans of your works. Yours in particular, Megurine-San. Have you considered singing jazz? We both think it would be marvelous"

Taken aback by the compliments, Luka took a few seconds to answer.

"I have, actually, but I haven't gotten to it yet..."

"Ooh, I can hardly wait" and indeed, the woman seemed absolutely delighted by the idea. Her elegant aura broke down to one of an excited child's.

"While this is all dandy, we're still here with a purpose" Meiko reminded the woman.

"Of course"

Their refrozen hostess then took a seat at the other end of the table, far enough to keep distance but still remaining polite and social. She asked if they wanted something to drink, and despite them saying they required nothing, she had two bottles of water, one sparkling and the other flat, along with five clear crystal glasses, brought to the table. Meiko immediately served herself some sparkling water and poured some for her friends.

"I will cut straight to the point", the woman continued, sitting straight and ignoring the rash brunette. "The culprit you are after is my son, Utatane Piko"

Miku and Luka looked at each other, both vaguely remembering the name.

"He is also a tremendous fan of yours. Or...he was, at they very least. I do not know the exact details but he had gotten increasingly upset with you, Hatsune-san, over the past year. When Megurine-san got into the picture, it got worse, especially when my husband and I became fans. But he never did anything...he was merely upset and didn't like talking about you much"

"Now see here..." Meiko interrupted. "What I hear is a fan just a little mad about a change in style. Why, and especially, how, did he do all he did, and why didn't you do anything?"

"I was getting to that, in chronological order. Please, just listen"

She held her hands up in defense, not very impressed with the icy tone.

"As I said before, we're here with purpose, not for story time"

"Meiko..." Luka paused. "We would like to hear" she said, sitting snugly next to Miku. The tealette was glad the pinkette was talking a little.

"Alright" the brunette then leaned back in her chair, getting comfortable. "Then please go on, Utatane-San"

"Very well" the woman sat straighter, and looked at one of her big, shiny rings. "One day, he snapped. He returned home late one evening, yelling and crying, promising revenge and whatnot. Absolutely silly business. As young people do such silly things all the time, my husband and I didn't think much of it. That was until everything got on the news. The blogs, billboards..." she paused, as if trying to mentally shake the memory away. "Terrible things.  
>One evening we brought it up at the dinner table. The horror of it all; so uncivilized. It was then that our boy proudly declared he was responsible and went on a terrible rant explaining how he did it.<br>I am afraid we are partly to blame. As Piko has a slight case of chronic photodermatitis, he cannot go outside very often. The moment he steps into sunlight or a very sunny room he gets very nauseated and develops rashes were sun touches him. This explains our large curtains. But as consequence to this disease he never got to know other kids his age, never got friends, and can't spend time with others, and he gets very bored very easily. We got him what he requested to keep him entertained. At first, helpers of various kinds, to aid with human interaction, but then his requests turned to computers, mostly. He has a special skill with those and apparently can speak some of those cyber languages... Either way, over the years, locked up in his room, he has gotten more and more skilled out of our sight. Our only glimpse of his expertise was whenever he came out to help fix a printer or whatnot. We never really knew until then how capable he had gotten.  
>When we knew how he had abused of our gifts we locked him up...grounded, I believe is the term. But without computers. He only had access to his mobile phone as a compromise. But apparently he can use it to remotely access his bigger devices. We didn't know, so the carnage continued...and worsened.<br>Right now he is in the game room, with only various board games there to entertain him. He has been there since shortly before the trial, which I am very glad you both got out of.  
>I am afraid we do not have a very valid excuse for keeping this a secret. We had a certain...pride, and do not really desire to send our little boy to jail. However, we are more than willing to pay for any kind of compensation, indemnification..." she trailed off.<p>

The group remained silent, the ticking sound from the clock filling the room once again. Meiko slowly took a drink, before asking another question.

"How old is this Piko? From what I hear and see he could be anything between 6 and 40"

"He is a 19-year-old young man"

Meiko nodded again, still looking generally unimpressed.

"Do you think he'll continue, or try to, when let close to his computers again?" asked Miku.

"We have no idea. We tried reasoning with him but he won't talk much"

More ticking.

"Can we see him?" Miku asked again.

The woman showed surprise for the first time.

"Are...you sure you want to? I understand why and I don't see why not but..."

After a brief silence she got up.

"Follow me, I will bring you to him"

Slowly she made her way to the door, giving them the time to finish their glasses of water. Eventually the whole group went down to the basement, which unlike Meiko thought earlier, was just as richly decorated as the rest of the mansion. The only difference was that is was much darker. It wasn't so dark that it was hard to see anything, but they still required some time to adjust to the change. It was also very warm, despite a constant, fresh breeze.

"Piko sleeps down here during the summer" explained their hostess. "We set the temperature so that it feels like outside"

"Poor guy" mumbled Miki, loud enough for only her friends to hear.

"Come on, she wants us to pity him, so that we'll go soft on him" answered Meiko, whispering.

Luka and Miku though, who were trailing behind just somewhat, didn't know what to think. Their venomous friend spoke of being harsh, but they didn't know what they were planning to do from the start. They just wanted to talk; to have answers.

Many of their questions had already been answered, but they still didn't know the man behind it.

They both silently agreed that a short meeting was in order.

Down the hall, the man who had greeted them at the door, Iwao apparently, emerged from an adjacent room and shut the door behind him. Hearing the group coming, he turned towards them, surprised. The two spouses exchanged a few quick, hushed words. After a short silence which followed the exchange, he nodded, bowing his head rather low, and let her open the door.

"Wait here" Kimiko ordered, entering the room and shutting the door.

Her husband remained with them, in silence, as he ran his left thumb over his fingers. Meiko leaned against the wall, or rather against a seemingly expensive tapestry. Miki preferred to mentally count the amount of said tapestries she could see.

The silence lasted a good minute or two. No sound was to be heard from the room. The door opened rather suddenly, and the older woman beckoned the couple over. Miku and Luka hesitantly entered.

It was much brighter than they had expected, but just as quiet as the rest of the house. Building blocks of absolutely every kind littered the floor. Luka recognized at least three Jenga sets put together to look like a miniature Eiffel Tower, and puzzle pieces, instead of forming the image they are supposed to, were intricately stacked to make small figurines. An entire house, only 30 centimeters tall, was made entirely of toothpicks and Miku swore she could glimpse furniture through the tiny windows.

And unlike the house and the adults in charge, everything was absolutely flawless. It was almost as if, before making all these structures, Piko had perfected the room. A pristine place for incredible constructions. Even the bed in the corner of the room was perfect, as where the curtains, the carpet's tassels; almost disgustingly so.

Piko sat in the corner closest to the door, his back to the walls. Unlike a hunched over grumpy boy they might have been expecting, he was every much the son of the two masters. The young man sat straight, was perfectly groomed and wore a white button-up shirt. A p-shaped ahoge stood atop his head, not moving an inch. He sat on his knees at a low table, and was busy stacking cards.

The idols took a moment just to study his face. He was composed, even regal. His eyes were either blue or green, that much they could tell with the distance separating them. His features were fine, and totally relaxed.

He didn't look up to greet them, or acknowledge their presence. He continued stacking the cards without interruption. The idols realized that there was no breeze in this room.

Luka and Miku followed Kimiko up to the opposite side of the table. After standing there for a few seconds, he paused, hands hovering over his construction.

"Please, sit" he said, slowly. His voice was incredibly soft, both in volume and one could even say in texture. Definitely masculine, the sound was also beautiful. It was as if the boy had never suffered a sore throat or screamed in his life, and had an unscathed set of vocal chords.

They sat carefully, keeping distance between themselves and the table, but he still didn't resume his task. He then looked up, not at them, but at his mother.

"Could you please leave us? I would like to converse with these two in private"

She hesitated a few instants, but did leave with a brisk pace. The moment the door shut, Piko continued his work on the tower.

He wasn't very tall, but he was slim and sharp. He handled the cards with expertise, his long, slender fingers not once shaking or hesitating.

After stacking a few more cards, instead of grabbing another from a very large deck, he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. Then he set his hands on the table, palms against the wood. Through the construction, he looked at the celebrities with an unwavering, piercing gaze. He swallowed once, his Adams Apple bobbing slightly as he did so.

Luka and Miku had to give themselves credit for returning the stare. They weren't challenging him in any way, but refused to crumble before him. They felt like a barrier, suffering under the weight of an avalanche, because that was exactly how heavy and cold his gaze was. His white hair and pale attire, along with his bright blue and green eyes, gave off a frosty aura. He blinked so rarely; it made his look never-ending and surreal.

Miku needed to break the ice.

"You're older than we thought"

The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Then I can guess that I have fooled your friends successfully"

"But we found you"

"And I give you my congratulations on that. I must admit that I admire your efficiency. I would like to know your methods"

Miku denied him an answer.

"Having Lily befriend me to the point that I do her favors was particularly cruel"

The idols remained silent.

"I suppose my mother has served you a drink already" he spoke, still very slowly.

"She has" answered the tealette. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

"Wonderful" he reached out his right hand, just barely avoiding his work. "Let me introduce myself. I am Utatane Piko"

"Hatsune Miku" the tealette took his cold hand, and they shook just slightly. She didn't want to topple over the tower despite his confidence with it. He held on to her hand however, just a second longer, before letting go. "And Megurine Luka. Pardon her, but she doesn't exactly want to get very close to you right now" Miku said.

Luka blinked, but didn't take her eyes off of him.

"Ah, forgive me for that. You must understand that it was Miku here I wanted to break" he said coolly, manually gesturing to the girl as he spoke. Despite the fact that he was talking to the pinkette, his eyes were for Miku only.

"You used me," whispered the pinkette.

"That, I have. And again, forgive me for that" he put his hands back on the table, this time weaving his fingers together, and leaning forwards.

He looked at Miku, the corners of his mouth still twitching upwards just slightly. His gaze was truly glued to the shorter idol, something that began to irritate Luka very much very quickly.

It was a competition of poker face. None showed any emotion, despite his weird half-smile.

"You must understand," he said after a moment, "How thrilled I am to see you two here"

"We were told you were a fan of mine" Miku replied.

"Ooh, 'were'? My mother told you this story, hasn't she? She suffers from a lack of understanding. Please, I am still an immense fan. I am probably the biggest fan...of who you used to be"

Miku shivered. The cold was getting to her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, while Luka desperately took a hold of her hand under the table, out of his sight.

"It means that change is a natural thing, it happens, but I happen to like 'old you' more than the new" he said, looking away from them, down at the table, bowing his head slightly, smile-thing still present.

"I'm sorry that I moved on from what I used to be" the tealette said, trying not to sound sarcastic.

He laughed, a wonderful, rich sound.

"No you aren't" he looked at them again, this time leaning back, hands flat on the table once more. "You see, you are more than happy with how you are now. So happy. And that's exactly it. What I used to like about you...was the underlying suffering"

The two idols visibly flinched. Luka's grip on Miku's hand became almost unbearably tight.

"You must understand, I could relate to it. I finally had someone who, I felt, also suffered. But then...well, things got better, didn't they.  
>It was shocking to hear that your piece, Love Is War, didn't have that pain in it. Sure, it was a pained song, but the blunt you behind it was...happy. I was...surprised" his pauses were long and heavy. He slowly went to lean on his left elbow as he spoke, and had his right hand gently, oh so gently, stroke the cards already put together in the construction. "I couldn't listen to it. I couldn't bear to hear such a thing. The one person who had suffered alongside me was...gone.<p>

But then Luka here appeared and it all became clear. Ooh..." the card he was touching moved a slight bit, and the top of the tower wobbled. "You had found your eternal happiness in a person. I understood that, while you managed to have your pain removed...mine, well, is here to stay, forever"

The tower fell over as he pushed the card just a little too far.

"I needed to see you two"

He gathered the cards in long, quick movements of his right arm, still leaning heavily on his left. Within seconds the cards were neatly stacked, all facing upwards.

And, the whole while, his gaze never left Miku.

"But apparently, you didn't need to see me"

"We're sorry" spoke the tealette.

He paused, his smile creeping up his cheeks, his face resembling a skull.

"You're sorry" he spat. "So...sorry. Of course you are"

As he said this he tilted his head to the right.

"We...we did get your invitation" Miku stammered, startled by the sudden attitude shift. "But other things...came up"

"Things always do, don't they"

Somehow his full smile was scarier than his twitchy one. Luka's hand shook, and Miku tried to be an anchor for her, even if she felt herself slipping.

Piko started his tower anew, returning to an upright position, finally casting his eyes downward, but his smile still unnaturally high. It was as if his face had been carved out of wax for a scary house.

With sleepy eyes, he finished a level of his tower. Luka and Miku watched him, their shaking dying down as time passed. Halfway through the second level though, his eyes fixed on the tealette once again, yet he managed to continue stacking the cards.

"It's amazing how things come up when you want them to, isn't it" he said rhetorically. "Now, how has your summer vacation been so far?"

Miku reached a boiling point in less than a second at that remark, but she refused to let Luka go and didn't dare say a single word. Instead, she held back a retort, making a high growl. He chuckled.

"What do you want?" she hissed. She was positively steaming, and the warmth of her fury reached Luka through their bond. It pushed away the cold and the fear, and it made Miku feel strong in front of him.

He raised his brow, his smile retreating, its twitchy brother coming back.

"I want you to break," he stated simply. "I can go to jail. You can rob me of my computers. But I will always be able to listen to your voice. I will always be able to hear someone who shares my pain"

Miku started forward, challenging him, leaning very, very close to his new tower.

"I know you can't hurt us as long as we're in the same room. Now, all we want is a guarantee that from the moment we leave on, you won't try to hurt us again". Furious flames fueled her words and her courage.

He seemed taken aback by the statement, as if only now he realized its truth. He continued smiling nonetheless.

"What if I disagreed?"

"We're not giving you anything" Miku spat. "Whatever you want, you won't get. You won't break me. You won't hurt Luka. You can't turn time. So until you make the promise, we're staying here."

He paused his construction on the tower.

"You're staying?" he asked, his voice faltering.

"Yes. Your parents seem fond of us. They'll probably help with arranging it. In any case, nothing except you is stopping us, and we're not going to let you do anything against us. Not anymore. Again, it's not like you can do anything to us without your precious computers"

He put his hands back on the table, fiddling with the card he held.

Miku and Luka's breaths evened out as the fear receded and strength grew from their bound hands. The wild fire turned into a steady flame, calm but still warm.

"Seems like an easy decision if you ask me" Miku said just loud enough to hear.

Suddenly, the card Piko held tore right through the middle.

"Indeed it does"

The next second, everything changed. The short table was upside down, the cards littered over the floor. Miku and Luka had fallen back, in a vain attempt of avoiding the table, and were then stuck under it, the corners digging into their thighs and ankles. And the one responsible, the one who burst upwards, knocking everything over, Piko, lay on the table, and on Luka.

He was strangling the life out of her.

Luka couldn't scream. She could barely realize what had just happened, but the moment she realized that she wasn't getting air, and saw Piko lying on top of her, she silently panicked. He was looking straight into her soul. The frozen eyes looked at her with a joyous hatred. His smile couldn't stop getting wider. His grip on her throat kept getting tighter. He laughed as he looked at her. He laughed at her tears, at her weakness. He laughed as Luka lie stuck, powerless, under him. He laughed as he was taking Luka away from Miku. The tealette yelled, stuck under the table, unable to turn enough to reach them. Luka opened her mouth, and tried to do something. Anything. A yell, a scream, a breath...

She cried silently as her vision blurred and began to fade.

Miku screamed in pure anger, and not caring about the wounds or cuts caused by the sharp table corners, she pushed herself up and grabbed Piko's arm, hitting him as hard as she humanly could.

Luka inhaled as Piko faltered, releasing her only to beat Miku away. She saw stars as she inhaled deeply, bringing up her arms to push him away. But he only turned back to her and grabbed her once more. She coughed, and pulled and scratched his arms.

"I can't hurt you without a computer, can I?!" he yelled. "Let's see how right you are about that!"

Luka tried to look to Miku, but his grip tightened.

"I'll break you, Miku!" he yelled, his arms crying blood as Luka violently tried to pry him off. "I'll take away your happiness if it's the last thing I do!"

Luka weakened, her pushing faltering. She heard Miku yell in the distance, somewhere far away. Her eyes started to close, and all she could see was his happy gaze staring at her. He had never looked so much like death.

"Let's see how you are after I ki-"

A shot rang through the air, the Jenga Eiffel Tower crumbled to the floor. Piko yelled in pain as he was tackled to the floor, Luka gasped for air as Miku reached over to hold her despite the corners digging in her flesh.

"You are under arrest," stated Arata with his booming voice, holding his gun in one hand, keeping Piko to the floor with the other. "Don't make me shoot again, it won't be a warning anymore"

Meiko lifted the table from her friends, while Kaito and Miki supported them as they crawled away, getting up. Neither idol noticed them come in the room, and where entirely focused on holding each other.

Piko struggled, and attempted to hit the officer. This only got him the non-warning shot straight in the shoulder. He yelled, his right arm going limp.

Miki, Kaito and Meiko helped their friends to their feet, Luka's gasping slowing down as she simply broke down into sobs. Miku held her as tightly as she could, whispering words of comfort in her ear.

Arata then managed to get Piko on his feet. The young man was crying, yelling madly, as a small tear bled on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, you're gonna live" muttered the officer. "You have the right to remain silent..."

The rest was lost to the idols.

"So...he just attacked you?" asked Kaito, quietly.

"...I asked for it" the tealette mumbled, her voice laced with bitterness.

Luka merely wrapped her arms around her, instead of clinging to her front.

'No hard feelings. Please stay.'

Miku started crying too, holding back the string of apologies.

"...Do you understand these rights?" Arata finished, holding the boy up as he cuffed him.

"Fuck you all" the boy seethed. "Of course I do"

"Alright then, off we go"

The parents stood back in shock and disappointment as they watched Arata pull their son up the stairs. Only when they remembered that he couldn't go outside in any regular circumstance did they intervene.

Meanwhile, the quintet remained downstairs. Luka tried to hide from the world in Miku's arms; she had never looked so small. The tealette could taste the regret; coming here was a terrible idea.

"Hey, at least he's in prison now, with extra charges..." mumbled Meiko. "He can't do anything anymore"

"We don't know that..." retorted Miku as she ran her fingers through Luka's hair, soothing both of them.

Kaito sighed, and left upstairs, leaving Meiko and Miki with the duo.

He ran to the front door, barely remembering how to get there, losing himself in the halls of the vast household. He only managed to find the right door in the right hall thanks to Arata's powerful voice. Entering the front hall, he found Kimiko and Iwao dressing up their son, rubbing some lotion on his face, and bandaging his wound, as the officer held him tight.

"Can I say something to him?" he asked the tall man.

"Go ahead" Arata answered. "Don't touch him, though"

Kaito nodded, and made sure that Piko faced him while he talked.

"Listen here, Piko," he said, voice deadly serious. "Luka, and by extension Miku, are my best friends. If I know anything about them, it's that they are strong. Their feelings are so powerful that they can survive anything together. You, of all people, should know that"

"Get to the point" Piko seethed, far away from his collected state of mind.

"If you do separate them, if you KILL one of them, the strength won't die. Did you think that Miku would just break, seeing Luka dead by your hands? No. She would be so overwhelmed that she wouldn't have let you out of there alive. And she would keep living. She would be happy, for Luka. If you thought that that was the way to break them, you're sorely wrong. Their affection, their love, is eternal" Kaito paused for a breath. "You were going the right way, by making them lose faith in the other, by making them doubt. But here, now...I'm surprised you made such a dreadful mistake"

Piko froze at the mention of him being inaccurate.

"You must have lost it, haven't you? They must have angered you. And sure, that isn't fair. But...if you reacted such a way, it's because you let them in. And that, Piko, succumbing to mere words, is weakness. They didn't break your reputation. They didn't make you have nightmares. They didn't try to fool you. But you let them in your head anyways"

Piko was positively seething, but he remained silent, his eyes growing dark.

"Now listen up. You're going to prison, and in prison, you have rights. You'll have the right to access computers, I imagine. But you won't try to harm them. You won't look for them, or me, or anybody we know in any way. You'll spend time, think, and maybe, maybe, you'll grow up a bit. Get stronger. Meet people who will help you. You never know where you find strength. I won't wish you the best of luck, Piko. But if you try to come back, you'll regret it. If necessary, I'll even make sure of that"

"Fine" the older man spat. "Fine! You win! You got me! Now leave me alone!"

Kimiko pushed Kaito aside to finish rubbing his face in some sort of oily substance, and within the minute, The Blogger was pushed into the police car, and sent off to jail.

The Utatane family did all they could to atone for their son's behavior. Tea was offered, as well as various services. In the end though, all Luka really wanted was to crawl into a bed and sleep the pain away. Her throat was bruised, her mind was shaken, and all that kept her from trembling was Miku's hug.

The tealette wasn't faring much better. While she had managed to swallow the guilt, the thought that she was close to losing Luka again was taking a toll on her. She had SEEN someone strangle her, and all she could do was yell, stuck under a table.

She didn't think that the nightmares would go away anytime soon.

Not only that, but Neru called them soon, telling them that Crypton knew of Piko's arrest. Another trial was organized, which Lily anticipated greatly; she really didn't like being a suspect of the law. But this also meant that free time was over, and that they would have to resume work the following week.

Luka groaned at the news, and Miku sighed deeply. Neither was in state to continue their busy life. The tealette transmitted the news, but refused to tell any tales, and said that she would handle the affair on her own.

Dinner was offered, though declined. Incredibly generous and apologetic kindness was neutrally accepted. Despite their rich, stuck up exterior, the family seemed so regretful of everything that had transpired. It was possible that they hoped that this benevolence would lessen their son's punishment, but no celebrity or friend cared. All they wanted was for time to pass, without trauma or haunting dreams.

The group naturally declined the offer to stay the night after rejecting dinner. The house was too vast, and there was too much space available for the nightmares to slip in their rooms as they slept. Instead, they immediately got in Kaito's car, and headed for Miki's house.

Miku and Luka were given Miki's bed. The redhead took her sister's room, while Meiko and Kaito accepted the guest room.

The house was familiar, the company was familiar, and the silence was familiar. Neither Luka nor Miku could find sleep, though.

They lay side by side in the small bed, their arms pressed together and their hands linked. Miku looked at Luka often, while the pinkette gazed at the ceiling.

The bruises on Luka's neck were difficult to see in the dark, but many things were. The pinkette's tears, on the other hand, shone like diamonds.

Miku sat up, and propped a pillow behind her back, against the headboard. Luka turned, noticing her movements. She eventually understood, and lay in the shorter girl's lap.

"Do they hurt?" asked the tealette, stroking the bruises lightly.

"Yes"

Miku sighed, and gently massaged Luka's temples. Slowly, she moved her hands up to her forehead, down her nose, to her cheeks. The pinkette relaxed noticeably, the creases of worry disappearing as she let herself be surrounded by the comfort. The hands moved down to her lips, her chin, to her neck. Luka didn't tense up.

Miku lingered there, if only to try to erase the bad memories with her presence. Then her hands moved down, to right over her heart.

By then, Luka had fallen asleep. Her breaths were even, her features calm. Miku felt the heartbeat under her fingers for a few minutes, before grabbing the pinkette's hand.

"I'm here, Luka," she said, kissing her palm. "I always will be"

Miku slept better than she would have expected, considering she was sitting up. She woke up quite early, to the smell of pancakes and coffee.

She stretched extensively, careful to not disturb Luka, who was still sleeping in her lap. The taller idol had turned to her side, and was loosely hugging her unused pillow. Her features were still calm; her sleep had been peaceful.

Miku resumed the same exercise as the previous night, massaging Luka's face softly. Only this time, the pinkette was woken in a most gentle manner. Responding more and more to her touches, eventually she opened an eye, and smiled at the tealette.

"Good morning" she whispered.

"Good morning"

Luka then stretched as well, moving to the side to let Miku lie down. The offer was happily accepted, and the moment Miku was under the covers, Luka latched on to her tightly, pushing herself against the shorter girl.

"I slept well," she mumbled. "Thank you"

"Anything, sweet heart"

Luka smiled, humming a new tune as she listened to her partner's heartbeat. Miku stroked her hair, and both relaxed. The room, and their mood, was bright. They simply hoped that their future was just as much.

They heard Miki make her way downstairs, and Luka smiled at the familiar sound. She told Miku how she would sleep over here often, when she was younger. It was a nostalgic feeling really, remembering easier days.

At one point they heard Kaito declare that the pancakes were done.

"Of course he's the one cooking" Luka laughed. The duo got up, holding hands, and made their way downstairs.

They were greeted by the sight of Kaito putting the largest pile of European-style pancakes they had ever seen on the table, Meiko pouring tea for them all, as Miki finished setting the table.

"Good morning" they chorused.

The trio was surprised to see them, at first, because it looked as if they were blind to the bruises on Luka's neck. But then they remembered exactly whom they were dealing with, smiled, and returned the greeting.

The breakfast was familial in every way. The food was comforting, the mood was friendly, and time had no grasp on them, in that moment.

A new book had been started. Everybody was ready to start a regular life again, without hassle, without pressure, without obligations or fear.

Of course, the moment ended eventually. Around noon, they gave in to the fact that they couldn't escape reality forever. They cleaned everything to make the house look just the way they found it, and left.

Kaito's driving speed was faster on the way back. This didn't get any comments from his girlfriend, however. In fact, everybody was silent.

As the fields turned into modest housing, and then into large skyscrapers, they all sobered up, and realized that life was going to be very, very busy. Miku and Luka began to wonder if they could resume work already, despite their excellent day thus far. They smiled, and were happy, but just like the previous day, the nightmares were lurking, kept away only by temporary relief. Not to mention that their families and friends would want the story, which would make for an uncomfortable stroll through memory lane. Then there would be legal matters to attend to. Work would resume. Eventually, summer vacation would end and school would be there, too.

It took but an hour for this to dawn upon them all. Miku grew fidgety. Luka would stare ahead.

The only one free from these worries was Miki. She merely wondered about Piko, this handsome young man, in prison, and if she should have had that last pancake with nutella instead of jam.

Story time was not an easy task. Kaito opted to tell the story as best as he could, but couldn't answer the many questions Neru asked. In the end, Miku answered everything, with only a little difficulty.

The family didn't ask any questions, and didn't even need the entire story. All they cared about was if the entire ordeal is done, and if their daughter was all right.

Luka wasn't as all right as she would have liked. Miku was very realistic about her limits, however. But with all the recent events piling up, and the nightmares emerging, she felt that she either needed a very long vacation, or medical help. The moment she confessed this to Luka, the pinkette conceded, and also wanted help.

The Utatane family contacted the Megurine family very swiftly, and offered to pay for this help. Just as they were mere days before, their offers were most generous, beyond surprisingly so.

Just three weeks from back to school, all of the idols were called back to Crypton. All sorts of events were organized, as it was, in a way, a glorious comeback. In front of the cameras, painted in makeup and with smiles plastered on, they all looked like a joyous, rich bunch. And while they were rich, joyous didn't fit as much. The main duo had hoped that the return of work would keep their minds of off recent events. But all the faces, flashes, and interviews only scared them, and fueled their nightmares. Oh, how easy it would be, for a villainous character to hide in the crowds, to jump between flashes. How easy it was, to feed potentially harmful people information about themselves.

But they remained strong, drawing power from one another, from their friends, their families. Nobody murdered them, and no attacks were made. After a full three weeks of busy catching up, the tide receded and the work lessened.

School started, as did the trials. Just when Miku and Luka had hoped that the nightmares could finally have run off far away, they had to face Piko once more.

Everybody was there, and everybody was able to file in a complaint about the young man's behavior. His parents wept in a corner, as he had tainted their family name, and it was beyond saving. The problem was solved swiftly. Judged guilty, to receive many years in prison, Piko was left with a somber future ahead of him.

After the trial, Miku and Luka greeted Kimiko and Iwao, thanking them for their help and understanding. This, of course, in front of cameras, would they have liked it or not.

Schoolmates were most understanding, if not a bit overbearingly so. Teachers, not as much. Miku was very understanding about their neutral behavior, knowing them a bit better than the others did. The entire mix of the situation did make tests exceedingly difficult, though. Lily decided to assist her juniors while at Crypton, giving them lessons in mathematics during the breaks. Luka helped wherever English was concerned, and this time, the excess of work did distract them from their sleepless nights. It was a return to normalcy, to a state nearly identical to one a year ago. Visits to the doctor's cabinet became less necessary for Miku, and eventually, towards the fall vacation, Luka also cut down the number of her visits in half.

A grand winter concert was planned, and this time, everybody was to have an equal part in it. The group was determined that everybody would sing multiple songs. Solos and duets, sometimes even entire group works. Lily was reluctant, as she doubted her level of fame was great enough to have an equal part in such an event, but her mind was quickly changed, and she went to retrieve old unfinished works, and wrote new ones. Her creativity flowed without obstacle, mostly thanks to her new manager. She didn't even think that it was thanks to Piko she had the new manager; that chapter was over and behind them.

Every afternoon they planned the event, either by speaking to officials for more formal planning; getting costumes and effects ready, or preparing and rehearsing songs. This process nearly fully cured the main duo from their nightmares. Their creativity was limitless and healing.

School got tougher still, and this kept their heads in the real world. By the time the concert was to take place, Luka could sleep without medication and without difficulty, and Miku no longer had to worry.

The concert was a tremendous success. After the event, they signed posters, CDs or any kind of merchandise their fans had of them. Lily was surprised by her fans, or rather by how many of them there were. Arata even came to the event, with his family. The quartet who knew him got up and greeted him, thanking the now off duty officer for his help. Luka's family was also present; it was the greatest concert yet, after all, and none wanted to miss it. Yukari had by then lightened up a bit, and even greeted her relative and her partner. Miku was excessively happy about this.

They had nothing to worry about, not even about Piko possibly hurting them. His sentence limited him to four walls, a bed and food, with nothing electronic close by. As smart as the young man was, his genius was for computers only and escaping was an art that evaded him.

For the first time since they had truly met, no shadows where lurking and nobody's greed depended on their downfall. Their days and minds were clear and sunny. They could all be happy. And, they all hoped, that this would last till The End.

* * *

><p><strong>First off, I want to thank all those who have supported me over the past three years. Namely the faithful reviewers who took their time to give me feedback time and time again; StattStatt, Alchemya, Omega Collaborative, meislovely, Zoop Top, Faystay, Paru Cafe, VSinger, purplemoonff and SO MANY MORE, YOU'RE ALL WONDERFUL I WISH I COULD WRITE YOU ALL DOWN. I can't forget Levin13, a great source of motivation and strength, my sister for the incredible ideas (an amazing source of inspiration, really. Many thanks, sis.. C:), and Jak656, for beta-reading, reviewing, and being an awesome friend. *hearts for everyone*<strong>

**Second is self-criticism: this story is ALL OVER THE PLACE. It's messy, far from perfect...but I think what counted what the 'feels'. Most reviewers said it made them feel, and I think that was what I going for when I started this; I cared little for technical knowledge or skill, I wanted to transmit feelings. I had discovered negitoro during a rough time and I wanted to...let it go. And to this day, negitoro still holds an immense place in my heart, and this story, with you all, are now part of an amazing part of my life. **

**Third, I WILL CONTINUE WRITING, except now I've grown by a full three years, and am now mindful of actual writing methods, instead of senseless blabber. X'D I've started a new fiction, but I won't post it right away. I'll make it pristine, with shorter, structured chapters, and characters with a personality. Not to mention the updates issue; it'll update regularly. **

**Also, an epilogue will be posted soon enough. :) It'll be short, really short, but it'll be the real end to Sneering Eyes.**

**So, thank you all, and see you next time! **


	19. Epilogue

"Can you believe this? Dorian is in jail _again_!"

Miku stuck her head out of the kitchen door, looking at Luka, who was sitting on the living room couch. The pinkette turned to face her, and gestured with the newspaper she was holding.

"Who is Dorian?" asked Miku, not leaving the kitchen.

Luka guffawed.

"Who is Dorian?!" she asked, surprised the tealette didn't remember . "Only the one responsible for our entire forest ordeal!"

Miku remained silent for a while.

"My first manager!?" she exclaimed after a moment, leaving the kitchen. She sat next to Luka, who showed her the article. The tealette quickly read it, mumbling some words.

"I can't believe you managed to forget Dorian of all people" Luka said with a smile.

The shorter girl finished the article before sitting up straight in a contemplative silence.

"I managed to forget Dorian"

Luka laughed, hugging Miku tight.

"And that took only...what, five years?"

"Oh give me a break, we haven't talked about, or heard from him in ages" justified Miku. "But...that's a good thing. I managed to forget Dorian"

Luka raised an eyebrow.

"I think we need to test you for other things you might have forgotten" she said with a sneaky smile. Miku squinted suspiciously.

"Not now, dear, I'm cooking"

Luka wouldn't have any of that and took her hands before she could leave.

"How old were we when we first met?" asked the pinkette.

"Three" the tealette jested. Luka laughed in response. "Admit it: you acted like a toddler"

"Yes, I was an ass"

Miku kissed her.

"A gorgeous ass"

Luka blew a raspberry, holding Miku's hands tighter.

"And you still are-" Miku kissed her again. "-a very gorgeous ass"

Luka raised her eyebrows again, smiling.

"When was our first kiss?" she asked.

"Right after I realized I loved you~" Miku stressed the 'o' in 'love', before kissing Luka again. The pinkette didn't respond to the gesture. "Fine. We were fifteen or sixteen, and we kissed after I tripped over a stupid stair"

The pinkette grinned.

"Hmm..." Luka thought for a while, searching for her next question. "How much do you love me?" she asked with a smirk.

Miku sat back a little, and raised a brow herself.

"Gee, I don't know, it seems I've forgotten that as well, of all things" the phrase dripping with sarcasm. After a laugh and a really tight hug, she whispered 'this much' with a smile.

They remained like that for a while. Luka stroked Miku's hair, while the tealette nearly dozed off, sitting in the taller woman's lap.

A kitchen timer went off, startling them. Miku beamed.

"I have a question for you~" she said, right before walking off. Luka followed her with her eyes, confused. "What day is it today?" was called from the kitchen.

"Uhh..." Luka stared dumbly, more curious about Miku's activities, than what the question, or the answer to it, really was.

"You didn't answer me~" Miku called again, but nonetheless, she emerged into the living room with a cake in her hands. Planted in the cake were three small candles. The tealette leaned forward, putting her face right in front of Luka's, the cake perfectly between them.

"Happy Anniversary" she whispered.

Luka's face melted to an expression of pure delight. Miku put the cake on the coffee table before sitting between outstretched arms.

"I love you, dear" whispered the pinkette. Miku returned the hug, the kisses, and the phrase.

They sat there for a few moments, as the candles burned down.

"Three years" Miku sang softly, almost a whisper.

Luka smiled and took the tealette's left hand in her own, kissing the ring there.

"Three wonderful years" she answered.

Miku beamed, both of them loving the closeness and the intimacy of the moment. The taller idol looked at her partner, smiling.

"Do you think we would've ended up like this if we had met differently...?" she asked, softly.

Miku nearly called her foolish for over thinking the past, instead of being happy with their present state, but merely smiled a sneaky smile.

"Luka, the moment I saw those sneering eyes of yours, I knew I'd love them till the end of time"

"You're so cheesy"

"But you love me for that"

"I do"


End file.
